Narrative:

Pilot was competing in hot air balloon event. The task assigned was a pilot declared goal with a fly-on to the boone county fairgrounds. Pilot had selected as the goal an intersection of 2 local roads. The flight path near the ground was to the west at approximately 270 degrees, while at 500 ft AGL the flight path was at approximately 320 degrees. As pilot approached target (about 3/4 mi east of target), he increased his altitude to approximately 500 ft AGL to observe intersection. When it was located, he determined he needed to fly at about 270 degrees, thus he vented to reduce altitude. The flight path was over open fields and pastures. A farmstead was about 500 ft north of flight path and a rural subdivision was approximately 1320 ft south of flight path. As pilot leveled off near ground, he first saw a power pole to his right near farm. At about same time, he saw power lines (2) immediately in front of balloon, about 50 ft away. Pilot immediately pulled deflation line to deflate balloon. Balloon landed at fence line and momentum carried balloon over fence and through power lines, severing both lines. Only part of balloon that made contact with power lines was the nomex skirt. No damage to balloon or to the kevlar suspension cables. No injuries were suffered by pilot who was flying solo. In this instance, the power line paralleled and was in line with a n-s fence through a pasture. At the pole to the left, located at the intersection of the n-s fence and an e-w fence, the power line went undergnd to the subdivision. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a firefly ax-6 balloon. He has received a letter of investigation from the kansas city FSDO suggesting that there might be a 30 day suspension of his pilot certificate. There has been no hearing, and none yet scheduled. The far violation that was mentioned was violation of the altitude waiver that was in effect. The reporter readily admits that he was flying too low. He has written an article for his local balloon club suggesting new tactics for letting down, not to go down to the lowest altitude right away but to let down to an intermediate altitude to take another look ahead for wires.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT PWR LINES.

Narrative: PLT WAS COMPETING IN HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT. THE TASK ASSIGNED WAS A PLT DECLARED GOAL WITH A FLY-ON TO THE BOONE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. PLT HAD SELECTED AS THE GOAL AN INTXN OF 2 LCL ROADS. THE FLT PATH NEAR THE GND WAS TO THE W AT APPROX 270 DEGS, WHILE AT 500 FT AGL THE FLT PATH WAS AT APPROX 320 DEGS. AS PLT APCHED TARGET (ABOUT 3/4 MI E OF TARGET), HE INCREASED HIS ALT TO APPROX 500 FT AGL TO OBSERVE INTXN. WHEN IT WAS LOCATED, HE DETERMINED HE NEEDED TO FLY AT ABOUT 270 DEGS, THUS HE VENTED TO REDUCE ALT. THE FLT PATH WAS OVER OPEN FIELDS AND PASTURES. A FARMSTEAD WAS ABOUT 500 FT N OF FLT PATH AND A RURAL SUBDIVISION WAS APPROX 1320 FT S OF FLT PATH. AS PLT LEVELED OFF NEAR GND, HE FIRST SAW A PWR POLE TO HIS R NEAR FARM. AT ABOUT SAME TIME, HE SAW PWR LINES (2) IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF BALLOON, ABOUT 50 FT AWAY. PLT IMMEDIATELY PULLED DEFLATION LINE TO DEFLATE BALLOON. BALLOON LANDED AT FENCE LINE AND MOMENTUM CARRIED BALLOON OVER FENCE AND THROUGH PWR LINES, SEVERING BOTH LINES. ONLY PART OF BALLOON THAT MADE CONTACT WITH PWR LINES WAS THE NOMEX SKIRT. NO DAMAGE TO BALLOON OR TO THE KEVLAR SUSPENSION CABLES. NO INJURIES WERE SUFFERED BY PLT WHO WAS FLYING SOLO. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE PWR LINE PARALLELED AND WAS IN LINE WITH A N-S FENCE THROUGH A PASTURE. AT THE POLE TO THE L, LOCATED AT THE INTXN OF THE N-S FENCE AND AN E-W FENCE, THE PWR LINE WENT UNDERGND TO THE SUBDIVISION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A FIREFLY AX-6 BALLOON. HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE KANSAS CITY FSDO SUGGESTING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A 30 DAY SUSPENSION OF HIS PLT CERTIFICATE. THERE HAS BEEN NO HEARING, AND NONE YET SCHEDULED. THE FAR VIOLATION THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS VIOLATION OF THE ALT WAIVER THAT WAS IN EFFECT. THE RPTR READILY ADMITS THAT HE WAS FLYING TOO LOW. HE HAS WRITTEN AN ARTICLE FOR HIS LCL BALLOON CLUB SUGGESTING NEW TACTICS FOR LETTING DOWN, NOT TO GO DOWN TO THE LOWEST ALT RIGHT AWAY BUT TO LET DOWN TO AN INTERMEDIATE ALT TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AHEAD FOR WIRES.

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.