A hot air balloon hit power lines.

Attributes
ACN	275462
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 30
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	275462
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated other other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Lift off was 15 mins after hare balloon lifted off. Flew in same direction except a little more north. Stayed at about 500 ft elevation. (Maximum was 1100 ft). Approximately 45 min flight. Was searching for landing location, had many planted fields and unavailable landing spots. After asking crew, found a field along northeast flight line, after flying over woods, realizing power lines were close to woods prior to landing site. Made proper approach but, as I crossed the trees prior to the power lines, I felt a downdraft and cool air. I rapidly lost altitude. I was unable to recover prior to making contact with power lines. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: in an attempt to call the reporter at his work place, an unidented person said that the reporter was on 'sick leave. Did you hear about X? He was badly hurt in a balloon accident.' there were no details offered. No mention was made about the condition of any passenger or the balloon. This call was made 3 months after the date of the accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT PWR LINES.

Narrative: LIFT OFF WAS 15 MINS AFTER HARE BALLOON LIFTED OFF. FLEW IN SAME DIRECTION EXCEPT A LITTLE MORE N. STAYED AT ABOUT 500 FT ELEVATION. (MAX WAS 1100 FT). APPROX 45 MIN FLT. WAS SEARCHING FOR LNDG LOCATION, HAD MANY PLANTED FIELDS AND UNAVAILABLE LNDG SPOTS. AFTER ASKING CREW, FOUND A FIELD ALONG NE FLT LINE, AFTER FLYING OVER WOODS, REALIZING PWR LINES WERE CLOSE TO WOODS PRIOR TO LNDG SITE. MADE PROPER APCH BUT, AS I CROSSED THE TREES PRIOR TO THE PWR LINES, I FELT A DOWNDRAFT AND COOL AIR. I RAPIDLY LOST ALT. I WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER PRIOR TO MAKING CONTACT WITH PWR LINES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IN AN ATTEMPT TO CALL THE RPTR AT HIS WORK PLACE, AN UNIDENTED PERSON SAID THAT THE RPTR WAS ON 'SICK LEAVE. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT X? HE WAS BADLY HURT IN A BALLOON ACCIDENT.' THERE WERE NO DETAILS OFFERED. NO MENTION WAS MADE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF ANY PAX OR THE BALLOON. THIS CALL WAS MADE 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT.

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.