Narrative:

Broken clouds and scattered rain showers in a.M. And early afternoon. High pressure moved into area late afternoon, which cleared out all clouds. Sky was 90 percent clear with dissipating clouds in other 10 percent. WX was checked from various sources--FSS, tv stations, and local observation. Decision was made to fly based on all WX reports. Winds were light and variable until 2000 ft AGL and then 5 KTS from west. The flight was uneventful. After 45-50 mins I looked for a place to land. The way the wind were, I would have had to stay high and fly past the landing site, because down low my track would be to the north or northwest. I made a slow descent from 2000 ft AGL and was in calm air with no track. There was a landing field below me--so ok. At 100 ft AGL I started to move east and missed my landing field. I heard on the radio the winds had picked up from the other balloonists. My balloon started moving southeast at 10 KTS. There was a small tree-covered hill I was going to fly over and land on the other side. I started to burn both burners, but I could only climb very slowly. Half way over the hill I got into a strong downdraft. I was continuously burning from 500-600 AGL to the ground. I could not stop my descent. I made a soft landing in an opening. However, part of the balloon envelope (top 1/3) went over power lines. Passenger were not hurt, the envelope was not damaged, but the electrical power line breakers were tripped. I later found out there might have been dissipating cloud 30 plus mi north of us. (I did not see that cloud during the flight.) perhaps this caused the downdraft. Nothing was on radar, and our chief pilot was in contact with me and the WX service throughout the flight. Another balloon pilot also experienced a downdraft about 3/4 mi north of me and made a hard landing. There were no warnings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON INTO THE WIRES.

Narrative: BROKEN CLOUDS AND SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS IN A.M. AND EARLY AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE MOVED INTO AREA LATE AFTERNOON, WHICH CLRED OUT ALL CLOUDS. SKY WAS 90 PERCENT CLR WITH DISSIPATING CLOUDS IN OTHER 10 PERCENT. WX WAS CHKED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES--FSS, TV STATIONS, AND LCL OBSERVATION. DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY BASED ON ALL WX RPTS. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE UNTIL 2000 FT AGL AND THEN 5 KTS FROM W. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER 45-50 MINS I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE WAY THE WIND WERE, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO STAY HIGH AND FLY PAST THE LNDG SITE, BECAUSE DOWN LOW MY TRACK WOULD BE TO THE N OR NW. I MADE A SLOW DSCNT FROM 2000 FT AGL AND WAS IN CALM AIR WITH NO TRACK. THERE WAS A LNDG FIELD BELOW ME--SO OK. AT 100 FT AGL I STARTED TO MOVE E AND MISSED MY LNDG FIELD. I HEARD ON THE RADIO THE WINDS HAD PICKED UP FROM THE OTHER BALLOONISTS. MY BALLOON STARTED MOVING SE AT 10 KTS. THERE WAS A SMALL TREE-COVERED HILL I WAS GOING TO FLY OVER AND LAND ON THE OTHER SIDE. I STARTED TO BURN BOTH BURNERS, BUT I COULD ONLY CLB VERY SLOWLY. HALF WAY OVER THE HILL I GOT INTO A STRONG DOWNDRAFT. I WAS CONTINUOUSLY BURNING FROM 500-600 AGL TO THE GND. I COULD NOT STOP MY DSCNT. I MADE A SOFT LNDG IN AN OPENING. HOWEVER, PART OF THE BALLOON ENVELOPE (TOP 1/3) WENT OVER PWR LINES. PAX WERE NOT HURT, THE ENVELOPE WAS NOT DAMAGED, BUT THE ELECTRICAL PWR LINE BREAKERS WERE TRIPPED. I LATER FOUND OUT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISSIPATING CLOUD 30 PLUS MI N OF US. (I DID NOT SEE THAT CLOUD DURING THE FLT.) PERHAPS THIS CAUSED THE DOWNDRAFT. NOTHING WAS ON RADAR, AND OUR CHIEF PLT WAS IN CONTACT WITH ME AND THE WX SVC THROUGHOUT THE FLT. ANOTHER BALLOON PLT ALSO EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT ABOUT 3/4 MI N OF ME AND MADE A HARD LNDG. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS.

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.