A hot air balloon pilot hits pwrlines on takeoff at a special interest activity hot air balloon meet...

Attributes
ACN	341688
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ggg
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : lfrr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 1139
ASRS Report	341688
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were inflating my balloon in rather windy conditions. The balloon was tied off with a quick release. After filling the balloon with air, I hit the burner, uprighted it and heated for launch. Because of the windy conditions, the quick release was pulled tight and malfunctioned. When we got it released, we were hit by a gust of wind that partially closed the mouth of the balloon, pushing out some hot air. The balloon was released and I hit a power line that was going from the road to a house. I landed immediately. I was fine and there was no structural damage to the balloon. To prevent this in the future, I have changed quick releases to one that is more reliable in these conditions. I also will double the distance between launch site and power lines. If faced with a like situation, I would partially deflate the balloon, correct the malfunction, reinflate and launch. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying in a hot air balloon event at GGG in a balloon works ax-7. She was using a tie-down with a 'special knot' that failed. She has since found another knot that suits her better. She was interviewed on site by an FAA inspector on duty who chose not to take the matter further.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HITS PWRLINES ON TKOF AT A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY HOT AIR BALLOON MEET.

Narrative: WE WERE INFLATING MY BALLOON IN RATHER WINDY CONDITIONS. THE BALLOON WAS TIED OFF WITH A QUICK RELEASE. AFTER FILLING THE BALLOON WITH AIR, I HIT THE BURNER, UPRIGHTED IT AND HEATED FOR LAUNCH. BECAUSE OF THE WINDY CONDITIONS, THE QUICK RELEASE WAS PULLED TIGHT AND MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN WE GOT IT RELEASED, WE WERE HIT BY A GUST OF WIND THAT PARTIALLY CLOSED THE MOUTH OF THE BALLOON, PUSHING OUT SOME HOT AIR. THE BALLOON WAS RELEASED AND I HIT A PWR LINE THAT WAS GOING FROM THE ROAD TO A HOUSE. I LANDED IMMEDIATELY. I WAS FINE AND THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON. TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE, I HAVE CHANGED QUICK RELEASES TO ONE THAT IS MORE RELIABLE IN THESE CONDITIONS. I ALSO WILL DOUBLE THE DISTANCE BTWN LAUNCH SITE AND PWR LINES. IF FACED WITH A LIKE SIT, I WOULD PARTIALLY DEFLATE THE BALLOON, CORRECT THE MALFUNCTION, REINFLATE AND LAUNCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT AT GGG IN A BALLOON WORKS AX-7. SHE WAS USING A TIE-DOWN WITH A 'SPECIAL KNOT' THAT FAILED. SHE HAS SINCE FOUND ANOTHER KNOT THAT SUITS HER BETTER. SHE WAS INTERVIEWED ON SITE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR ON DUTY WHO CHOSE NOT TO TAKE THE MATTER FURTHER.

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.