<< >> NASA ASRS Report 349659, October 1996

A raven RX7 hot air balloon pilot hit the top of a wall on a landing approach. Pilot technique burner and vent control. Error admitted.

Attributes
ACN	349659
Time
Date	199610
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl bound lower : 10 agl bound upper : 10
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 51 flight time type : 51
ASRS Report	349659
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During a final approach to a landing site, my approach angle became too steep due to overventing. An attempt to decrease descent rate by burner operation was unsuccessful. My balloon basket clipped the top of a concrete wall surrounding the landing site. The basket tipped upon contact causing burner flame to burn a section of the skirt and envelope throat. Landing was aborted, balloon envelope damage was noticed upon final landing. There was no property damage to concrete wall. Pilot judgement error in venting time probable cause of wall contact. Pilot not aware of burner orientation to envelope upon contact causing envelope damage. I am planning to practice approachs and venting actions to better understand their interaction and impact upon final land approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RAVEN RX7 HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT THE TOP OF A WALL ON A LNDG APCH. PLT TECHNIQUE BURNER AND VENT CTL. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: DURING A FINAL APCH TO A LNDG SITE, MY APCH ANGLE BECAME TOO STEEP DUE TO OVERVENTING. AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE DSCNT RATE BY BURNER OP WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. MY BALLOON BASKET CLIPPED THE TOP OF A CONCRETE WALL SURROUNDING THE LNDG SITE. THE BASKET TIPPED UPON CONTACT CAUSING BURNER FLAME TO BURN A SECTION OF THE SKIRT AND ENVELOPE THROAT. LNDG WAS ABORTED, BALLOON ENVELOPE DAMAGE WAS NOTICED UPON FINAL LNDG. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE TO CONCRETE WALL. PLT JUDGEMENT ERROR IN VENTING TIME PROBABLE CAUSE OF WALL CONTACT. PLT NOT AWARE OF BURNER ORIENTATION TO ENVELOPE UPON CONTACT CAUSING ENVELOPE DAMAGE. I AM PLANNING TO PRACTICE APCHS AND VENTING ACTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR INTERACTION AND IMPACT UPON FINAL LAND APCHS.

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.