2 hot air balloons 'kissed' shortly after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	262256
Time
Date	199401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	262256
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 unspecified : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Immediately following takeoff. I climbed to approximately 200 ft AGL. I was descending slowly and beginning to add heat in order to level off when I noticed another hot air balloon climbing rapidly into me from behind. I immediately fired both burners and started a very rapid ascent. The balloon below me hit the side of my gondola. I estimate that contact was made on the forward side of the lower balloon approximately 6-8 ft from its apex. The other balloonist vented his balloon to initiate a descent. Fortunately, there was no damage to either craft. A contributing factor to the incident was the fact that one balloon was in competition and the other was not, with each selecting a different flight path across the designated launch area. In the absence of a launch director for the event, there was no official timing of the launch for each hot air balloon, and, perhaps most significant, it appears that the balloon below me did not determine that the area above him was clear prior to his launch.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS 'KISSED' SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TKOF. I CLBED TO APPROX 200 FT AGL. I WAS DSNDING SLOWLY AND BEGINNING TO ADD HEAT IN ORDER TO LEVEL OFF WHEN I NOTICED ANOTHER HOT AIR BALLOON CLBING RAPIDLY INTO ME FROM BEHIND. I IMMEDIATELY FIRED BOTH BURNERS AND STARTED A VERY RAPID ASCENT. THE BALLOON BELOW ME HIT THE SIDE OF MY GONDOLA. I ESTIMATE THAT CONTACT WAS MADE ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE LOWER BALLOON APPROX 6-8 FT FROM ITS APEX. THE OTHER BALLOONIST VENTED HIS BALLOON TO INITIATE A DSCNT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER CRAFT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT ONE BALLOON WAS IN COMPETITION AND THE OTHER WAS NOT, WITH EACH SELECTING A DIFFERENT FLT PATH ACROSS THE DESIGNATED LAUNCH AREA. IN THE ABSENCE OF A LAUNCH DIRECTOR FOR THE EVENT, THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL TIMING OF THE LAUNCH FOR EACH HOT AIR BALLOON, AND, PERHAPS MOST SIGNIFICANT, IT APPEARS THAT THE BALLOON BELOW ME DID NOT DETERMINE THAT THE AREA ABOVE HIM WAS CLR PRIOR TO HIS LAUNCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.