Mac between 2 hot air balloons.

Attributes
ACN	315925
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mgw
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1250 msl bound upper : 1250
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ttn
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 499 flight time type : 499
ASRS Report	315925
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A hot air balloon race was in progress with the 'hare' or the balloon being chased taking off from the airport at about XA30 sep/sat/95. Approximately 30 other hounds, or balloons that chase the hare, launched a few mins later. The hare balloon landed about 1 mi from the airport to display the target. All of the other balloons are then supposed to converge on the target area to throw a small weighted baggie on the target to see who can maneuver their balloon closest to the X. On this morning, the airspeed on the surface, where the target was displayed, was about 2 KTS. The wind above the tree line was about 8 KTS. One of the other hound balloons had reached the target a short time before I had and was in the slower wind underneath as I was descending from the upper winds down to the lower, slower winds. We had fabric contact, meaning we touched envelope to envelope. My balloon was slightly higher than his, so the equator of my balloon hit his balloon right above his equator. His balloon was flying about 3 ft off the ground as we made contact, so the downward momentum of my balloon caused his balloon to hit the ground. When I saw him hit the ground, I made evasive maneuvers to fly over him. When he hit the ground, he decided to deflate his balloon. As I was flying over his envelope, my balloon basket slid over his envelope. I flew on. There was no aircraft damage and there was no injuries to either balloon involved in this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAC BTWN 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS.

Narrative: A HOT AIR BALLOON RACE WAS IN PROGRESS WITH THE 'HARE' OR THE BALLOON BEING CHASED TAKING OFF FROM THE ARPT AT ABOUT XA30 SEP/SAT/95. APPROX 30 OTHER HOUNDS, OR BALLOONS THAT CHASE THE HARE, LAUNCHED A FEW MINS LATER. THE HARE BALLOON LANDED ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE ARPT TO DISPLAY THE TARGET. ALL OF THE OTHER BALLOONS ARE THEN SUPPOSED TO CONVERGE ON THE TARGET AREA TO THROW A SMALL WEIGHTED BAGGIE ON THE TARGET TO SEE WHO CAN MANEUVER THEIR BALLOON CLOSEST TO THE X. ON THIS MORNING, THE AIRSPD ON THE SURFACE, WHERE THE TARGET WAS DISPLAYED, WAS ABOUT 2 KTS. THE WIND ABOVE THE TREE LINE WAS ABOUT 8 KTS. ONE OF THE OTHER HOUND BALLOONS HAD REACHED THE TARGET A SHORT TIME BEFORE I HAD AND WAS IN THE SLOWER WIND UNDERNEATH AS I WAS DSNDING FROM THE UPPER WINDS DOWN TO THE LOWER, SLOWER WINDS. WE HAD FABRIC CONTACT, MEANING WE TOUCHED ENVELOPE TO ENVELOPE. MY BALLOON WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN HIS, SO THE EQUATOR OF MY BALLOON HIT HIS BALLOON RIGHT ABOVE HIS EQUATOR. HIS BALLOON WAS FLYING ABOUT 3 FT OFF THE GND AS WE MADE CONTACT, SO THE DOWNWARD MOMENTUM OF MY BALLOON CAUSED HIS BALLOON TO HIT THE GND. WHEN I SAW HIM HIT THE GND, I MADE EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO FLY OVER HIM. WHEN HE HIT THE GND, HE DECIDED TO DEFLATE HIS BALLOON. AS I WAS FLYING OVER HIS ENVELOPE, MY BALLOON BASKET SLID OVER HIS ENVELOPE. I FLEW ON. THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE AND THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO EITHER BALLOON INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT.

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.