Sudden windshear forced a hot air balloon into power lines.

Attributes
ACN	319631
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo
Operator	general aviation : personal
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 : 12 flight time total : 655 flight time type : 573
ASRS Report	319631
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Windshear blew us down into power lines. I turned the burner on to try and climb out but could not. Just before strike, I shut off burner and pulled the smart vent to open top. Landing was fairly smooth. Balloon draped over power lines. Passenger and pilot exited safely. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a very large balloon in a ride business, able 14 passenger maximum, carrying about 12 passenger on the day of the incident. The balloon hit 79000 volt power lines just above the basket severing 2 suspension cables and burning several panels. The power company had to 'cut the balloon in half' to get it off of the lines. The reporter heard the circuit breaker pop, then the balloon slid to the ground from about 60 ft leaving most of the envelope draped across the wires. The only injury was a sprained ankle incurred when 1 passenger stepped on another passenger's ankle on entering the basket. The reporter and a passenger had arcing burns to some clothing. The reporter was trying to land in a parking lot past the power lines when the windshear caused an abrupt change of course into the power lines. Another dozen 'electric aeronauts' are born. As no one was injured, the FAA classified this as an 'incident.' the reporter has heard nothing from the FAA since the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUDDEN WINDSHEAR FORCED A HOT AIR BALLOON INTO PWR LINES.

Narrative: WINDSHEAR BLEW US DOWN INTO PWR LINES. I TURNED THE BURNER ON TO TRY AND CLB OUT BUT COULD NOT. JUST BEFORE STRIKE, I SHUT OFF BURNER AND PULLED THE SMART VENT TO OPEN TOP. LNDG WAS FAIRLY SMOOTH. BALLOON DRAPED OVER PWR LINES. PAX AND PLT EXITED SAFELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A VERY LARGE BALLOON IN A RIDE BUSINESS, ABLE 14 PAX MAX, CARRYING ABOUT 12 PAX ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. THE BALLOON HIT 79000 VOLT PWR LINES JUST ABOVE THE BASKET SEVERING 2 SUSPENSION CABLES AND BURNING SEVERAL PANELS. THE PWR COMPANY HAD TO 'CUT THE BALLOON IN HALF' TO GET IT OFF OF THE LINES. THE RPTR HEARD THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POP, THEN THE BALLOON SLID TO THE GND FROM ABOUT 60 FT LEAVING MOST OF THE ENVELOPE DRAPED ACROSS THE WIRES. THE ONLY INJURY WAS A SPRAINED ANKLE INCURRED WHEN 1 PAX STEPPED ON ANOTHER PAX'S ANKLE ON ENTERING THE BASKET. THE RPTR AND A PAX HAD ARCING BURNS TO SOME CLOTHING. THE RPTR WAS TRYING TO LAND IN A PARKING LOT PAST THE PWR LINES WHEN THE WINDSHEAR CAUSED AN ABRUPT CHANGE OF COURSE INTO THE PWR LINES. ANOTHER DOZEN 'ELECTRIC AERONAUTS' ARE BORN. AS NO ONE WAS INJURED, THE FAA CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN 'INCIDENT.' THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA SINCE THE 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.