Narrative:

The balloon was inflated and launched at the ball field/sports area in rio rancho, NM. The final landing was made west of the paradise hills development area in albuquerque, both are graded dirt surface roads. At the time of launch, winds were 4 KTS or less and remained so during the entire flight. At landing, winds were estimated at less than 2 KTS from the north and there was little or no drag of the basket. It was decided the balloon could be moved closer to the road before deflation, but because there was a pwrline on the west side of the road, the balloon could not be moved all the way to the road. When the balloon was approximately 50 yards from the road, a breeze, which I believe to be a thermal, began to blow the envelope toward the pwrline. I immediately pulled the deflation line and shut off the pilot lights. The basket began to tip over but continued to drag west. The thermal continued to blow the envelope west and lift the deflating fabric up. At this point, with the basket fully on its side, the envelope came near enough to the pwrline for it to arc to the pyrometer cable. I do not believe the envelope ever physically touched the pwrline. There was a flash where the pyrometer cable plug lay on the ground. The balloon continued to deflate with no additional electrical involvement or other unusual event. There was no injury to any person nor any damage to any other property. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter says that there was minor fabric damage in the vicinity of the pyrometer lead, but no other damage or injury. The local FSDO is regarding this as an incident and there has been no certificate action. The reporter believes that an arc was drawn from the pwrline to the pyrometer, that the fabric did not actually touch the pwrline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ARC WAS DRAWN THROUGH THE PYROMETER LINE OF A HOT AIR BALLOON THAT WAS ON THE GND NEAR A HIGH TENSION LINE.

Narrative: THE BALLOON WAS INFLATED AND LAUNCHED AT THE BALL FIELD/SPORTS AREA IN RIO RANCHO, NM. THE FINAL LNDG WAS MADE W OF THE PARADISE HILLS DEVELOPMENT AREA IN ALBUQUERQUE, BOTH ARE GRADED DIRT SURFACE ROADS. AT THE TIME OF LAUNCH, WINDS WERE 4 KTS OR LESS AND REMAINED SO DURING THE ENTIRE FLT. AT LNDG, WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT LESS THAN 2 KTS FROM THE N AND THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO DRAG OF THE BASKET. IT WAS DECIDED THE BALLOON COULD BE MOVED CLOSER TO THE ROAD BEFORE DEFLATION, BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A PWRLINE ON THE W SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE BALLOON COULD NOT BE MOVED ALL THE WAY TO THE ROAD. WHEN THE BALLOON WAS APPROX 50 YARDS FROM THE ROAD, A BREEZE, WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE A THERMAL, BEGAN TO BLOW THE ENVELOPE TOWARD THE PWRLINE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE DEFLATION LINE AND SHUT OFF THE PLT LIGHTS. THE BASKET BEGAN TO TIP OVER BUT CONTINUED TO DRAG W. THE THERMAL CONTINUED TO BLOW THE ENVELOPE W AND LIFT THE DEFLATING FABRIC UP. AT THIS POINT, WITH THE BASKET FULLY ON ITS SIDE, THE ENVELOPE CAME NEAR ENOUGH TO THE PWRLINE FOR IT TO ARC TO THE PYROMETER CABLE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE ENVELOPE EVER PHYSICALLY TOUCHED THE PWRLINE. THERE WAS A FLASH WHERE THE PYROMETER CABLE PLUG LAY ON THE GND. THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO DEFLATE WITH NO ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL INVOLVEMENT OR OTHER UNUSUAL EVENT. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO ANY PERSON NOR ANY DAMAGE TO ANY OTHER PROPERTY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAYS THAT THERE WAS MINOR FABRIC DAMAGE IN THE VICINITY OF THE PYROMETER LEAD, BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY. THE LCL FSDO IS REGARDING THIS AS AN INCIDENT AND THERE HAS BEEN NO CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT AN ARC WAS DRAWN FROM THE PWRLINE TO THE PYROMETER, THAT THE FABRIC DID NOT ACTUALLY TOUCH THE PWRLINE.

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.