A hot air balloon hit a static line on a power pole.

Attributes
ACN	276679
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : c33
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : clt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 112 flight time type : 112
ASRS Report	276679
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach to landing of a hot air balloon, the lower 1/3 of the basket caught an unseen (and unlevel) neutral static pwrline. Upon contact, the balloon system tilted 45 degrees on axis along the flight line, stretched the static line then broke free when the pwrline failed. The balloon was straight and level to clear the lines prior to landing, not descending.on approach to the landing area, the power lines were noted. The descent was arrested and the aircraft was brought to level flight to clear the visible power lines. The discrepancy in pole ht from one static level to a higher was not apparent to me and the small neutral lines were not visible. When the lines were seen approximately 3-4 ft prior to contact, no evasive action could be made. Contact was made, the system tilted, broke free upon failure of the wire, and the landing was completed. There was no damage to the aircraft and no personal injury.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT A STATIC LINE ON A PWR POLE.

Narrative: ON APCH TO LNDG OF A HOT AIR BALLOON, THE LOWER 1/3 OF THE BASKET CAUGHT AN UNSEEN (AND UNLEVEL) NEUTRAL STATIC PWRLINE. UPON CONTACT, THE BALLOON SYS TILTED 45 DEGS ON AXIS ALONG THE FLT LINE, STRETCHED THE STATIC LINE THEN BROKE FREE WHEN THE PWRLINE FAILED. THE BALLOON WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL TO CLR THE LINES PRIOR TO LNDG, NOT DSNDING.ON APCH TO THE LNDG AREA, THE PWR LINES WERE NOTED. THE DSCNT WAS ARRESTED AND THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO LEVEL FLT TO CLR THE VISIBLE PWR LINES. THE DISCREPANCY IN POLE HT FROM ONE STATIC LEVEL TO A HIGHER WAS NOT APPARENT TO ME AND THE SMALL NEUTRAL LINES WERE NOT VISIBLE. WHEN THE LINES WERE SEEN APPROX 3-4 FT PRIOR TO CONTACT, NO EVASIVE ACTION COULD BE MADE. CONTACT WAS MADE, THE SYS TILTED, BROKE FREE UPON FAILURE OF THE WIRE, AND THE LNDG WAS COMPLETED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO PERSONAL INJURY.

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.