A hot air balloon hit power lines on a sightseeing flight.

Attributes
ACN	313389
Time
Date	199508
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sbs
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	313389
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
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:

I was on an approach to land approximately treetop and roof top level. I had briefed the passenger and was only concentrating on bringing the balloon down (briefing had occurred approximately 10 mins earlier). I was aware of 2 different sets of power lines, a building, and its parking lots both in front of and behind the building. My flight path continued over the building to the parking lot in back, it appeared without obstacles. I vented, we were on the ground and then I heard a noise. Until that moment, I was not aware of the lines. I never saw them. My first response was to tell the passenger to get down and I proceeded to turn off the tanks. The light was flat that morning, and the poles were near some nearby trees. When I returned that afternoon, the poles and wires were very visible. There were no injuries or structural damage to the equipment, fabric damage was minimal. Property damage to lines remains uncertain. I need to have my passenger be on the lookout for lines so that 'not being aware of them' never occurs again. My performance may also be affected by the fact that I have only flown this area exclusively for the past few yrs and I should probably refresh my skills somewhere else and then fly here. Complacency with the familiar. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has a part time ride business flying an aerostar ax-9 balloon. There was very little damage to the balloon fabric, less than $200 and about the same amount of damage to the power lines. The lines arced and fell to the ground. The fabric damage was not found until the balloon was being deflated. The ground crew walked the balloon away from the lines. The reporter called the den FSDO and left more than 1 message but none was returned. The passenger were more concerned with the reporter's reputation than with their near brush with death. Power company representatives were on scene within 5 mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT PWR LINES ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN APCH TO LAND APPROX TREETOP AND ROOF TOP LEVEL. I HAD BRIEFED THE PAX AND WAS ONLY CONCENTRATING ON BRINGING THE BALLOON DOWN (BRIEFING HAD OCCURRED APPROX 10 MINS EARLIER). I WAS AWARE OF 2 DIFFERENT SETS OF PWR LINES, A BUILDING, AND ITS PARKING LOTS BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE BUILDING. MY FLT PATH CONTINUED OVER THE BUILDING TO THE PARKING LOT IN BACK, IT APPEARED WITHOUT OBSTACLES. I VENTED, WE WERE ON THE GND AND THEN I HEARD A NOISE. UNTIL THAT MOMENT, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LINES. I NEVER SAW THEM. MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO TELL THE PAX TO GET DOWN AND I PROCEEDED TO TURN OFF THE TANKS. THE LIGHT WAS FLAT THAT MORNING, AND THE POLES WERE NEAR SOME NEARBY TREES. WHEN I RETURNED THAT AFTERNOON, THE POLES AND WIRES WERE VERY VISIBLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE EQUIP, FABRIC DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL. PROPERTY DAMAGE TO LINES REMAINS UNCERTAIN. I NEED TO HAVE MY PAX BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR LINES SO THAT 'NOT BEING AWARE OF THEM' NEVER OCCURS AGAIN. MY PERFORMANCE MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED BY THE FACT THAT I HAVE ONLY FLOWN THIS AREA EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PAST FEW YRS AND I SHOULD PROBABLY REFRESH MY SKILLS SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN FLY HERE. COMPLACENCY WITH THE FAMILIAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS A PART TIME RIDE BUSINESS FLYING AN AEROSTAR AX-9 BALLOON. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON FABRIC, LESS THAN $200 AND ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE PWR LINES. THE LINES ARCED AND FELL TO THE GND. THE FABRIC DAMAGE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE BALLOON WAS BEING DEFLATED. THE GND CREW WALKED THE BALLOON AWAY FROM THE LINES. THE RPTR CALLED THE DEN FSDO AND LEFT MORE THAN 1 MESSAGE BUT NONE WAS RETURNED. THE PAX WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE RPTR'S REPUTATION THAN WITH THEIR NEAR BRUSH WITH DEATH. PWR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON SCENE WITHIN 5 MINS.

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.