A hot air balloon pilot's envelope draped over a power line. There were no injuries, property damage...

Attributes
ACN	349721
Time
Date	199610
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 5
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 3
ASRS Report	349721
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Landing on empty lot, pilot misjudged speed and rate of descent. Landed short of power line ahead of empty lot and balloon envelope draped over wires. Removed by power company. No damage to balloon, wires or other property. No injuries to personnel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a piccard skysailer of 90000 cubic ft volume. Another pilot was with him who had been flying the balloon, but gave it over to the reporter for landing. The balloon was flying on the west side of the rio grande, near the river where there is cold air that drops to the surface. The reporter found a lot for landing and was forced into it by the falling air. The balloon envelope was slightly draped on a power line, not over it, after the deflation panel was operated. The crew of two jumped well clear of the basket. There was no arcing. A gentle tug by the power company got the envelope off of the wires with no damage. The reporter was taking prozac as prescribed by his doctor. As he does not have to take an FAA physical, he does not know if this drug is not allowed for use by flight crew members. He will search this out. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA on this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT'S ENVELOPE DRAPED OVER A PWR LINE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR BALLOON DAMAGE. WX FACTORS DOWN FALLING AIR THAT FORCED PLT INTO THE GND BEFORE HE WAS READY. PICCARD SKYSAILER 90.

Narrative: LNDG ON EMPTY LOT, PLT MISJUDGED SPD AND RATE OF DSCNT. LANDED SHORT OF PWR LINE AHEAD OF EMPTY LOT AND BALLOON ENVELOPE DRAPED OVER WIRES. REMOVED BY PWR COMPANY. NO DAMAGE TO BALLOON, WIRES OR OTHER PROPERTY. NO INJURIES TO PERSONNEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A PICCARD SKYSAILER OF 90000 CUBIC FT VOLUME. ANOTHER PLT WAS WITH HIM WHO HAD BEEN FLYING THE BALLOON, BUT GAVE IT OVER TO THE RPTR FOR LNDG. THE BALLOON WAS FLYING ON THE W SIDE OF THE RIO GRANDE, NEAR THE RIVER WHERE THERE IS COLD AIR THAT DROPS TO THE SURFACE. THE RPTR FOUND A LOT FOR LNDG AND WAS FORCED INTO IT BY THE FALLING AIR. THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WAS SLIGHTLY DRAPED ON A PWR LINE, NOT OVER IT, AFTER THE DEFLATION PANEL WAS OPERATED. THE CREW OF TWO JUMPED WELL CLR OF THE BASKET. THERE WAS NO ARCING. A GENTLE TUG BY THE PWR COMPANY GOT THE ENVELOPE OFF OF THE WIRES WITH NO DAMAGE. THE RPTR WAS TAKING PROZAC AS PRESCRIBED BY HIS DOCTOR. AS HE DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE AN FAA PHYSICAL, HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THIS DRUG IS NOT ALLOWED FOR USE BY FLC MEMBERS. HE WILL SEARCH THIS OUT. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS.

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.

A hot air balloon pilot's envelope draped over a power line. There were no injuries, property damage, or balloon damage. WX factors down falling air that forced pilot into the ground before he was ready. Piccard skysailer 90.