A hot air balloon flew through a pair of low voltage wires.

Attributes
ACN	309383
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 7a1
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
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
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 105
ASRS Report	309383
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Maneuvering hot air balloon basket through a stand of trees to slow down for landing. The balloon basket clipped 2 power lines and knocked them to the ground. We landed safely a short distance away in a field with several other balloons. There was no damage to the balloon or any occupants. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a head ax-88 balloon in the event at greenville. The winds were 'rather strong.' several balloons had already landed in the field that she chose for landing. She deliberately flew through the top of a tree to slow down only to find that there was a single pair of wires embedded in the trees. She hit the wires hard enough that they broke, or burned, immediately. There was no damage to the balloon or injury to her or her passenger, or to anyone on the ground. The wires started no fire. The power company was on the spot in about 10 mins. The reporter notified the event organizers and later the FAA. She has heard nothing further from the FAA on this. Fortunately the lines were relatively low voltage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON FLEW THROUGH A PAIR OF LOW VOLTAGE WIRES.

Narrative: MANEUVERING HOT AIR BALLOON BASKET THROUGH A STAND OF TREES TO SLOW DOWN FOR LNDG. THE BALLOON BASKET CLIPPED 2 PWR LINES AND KNOCKED THEM TO THE GND. WE LANDED SAFELY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY IN A FIELD WITH SEVERAL OTHER BALLOONS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR ANY OCCUPANTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A HEAD AX-88 BALLOON IN THE EVENT AT GREENVILLE. THE WINDS WERE 'RATHER STRONG.' SEVERAL BALLOONS HAD ALREADY LANDED IN THE FIELD THAT SHE CHOSE FOR LNDG. SHE DELIBERATELY FLEW THROUGH THE TOP OF A TREE TO SLOW DOWN ONLY TO FIND THAT THERE WAS A SINGLE PAIR OF WIRES EMBEDDED IN THE TREES. SHE HIT THE WIRES HARD ENOUGH THAT THEY BROKE, OR BURNED, IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR INJURY TO HER OR HER PAX, OR TO ANYONE ON THE GND. THE WIRES STARTED NO FIRE. THE PWR COMPANY WAS ON THE SPOT IN ABOUT 10 MINS. THE RPTR NOTIFIED THE EVENT ORGANIZERS AND LATER THE FAA. SHE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS. FORTUNATELY THE LINES WERE RELATIVELY LOW VOLTAGE.

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.