Narrative:

I departed a field south of alameda, north of paseo del norte and west of the old launch field. I had been flying approximately 45 mins when I decided to land in a level field approximately 300 ft long and 150 ft wide. Downwind of this field was a road with power lines on the far side. I had a brief discussion with the crew about the landing site just prior to flaring for touchdown. I then opened the parachute vent to lose lift and land. At this time, 2 crew members jumped on the basket to add weight. However, the combination of a wind gust and loose gravel prohibited the balloon from stopping. As we drew closer to the downwind power line, the crew released from the basket just prior to reaching the road. The balloon was stopped by and came to rest next to a guy wire for a utility pole. The envelope had lost enough heat that it draped across the power lines. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying an aerostar RX7 in the special interest event with 1 passenger in the basket. Power of new mexico made sure that the power stayed off. The contact tripped a circuit breaker that did not come back on. A discharge traveled down the pyrometer line to the guy wire and then to the earth. The pyrometer and fabric were damaged along with one of the balloon cables. The reporter and passenger stayed in the basket until the power company arrived. A FSDO representative inspected the balloon on site, then again later in a repair facility. The reporter has not heard from the FAA since this occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HAD A POWER LINE CONTACT AT A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY. ACFT DAMAGE FABRIC, PYROMETER, SUPPORT CABLE. AEROSTAR RX7.

Narrative: I DEPARTED A FIELD S OF ALAMEDA, N OF PASEO DEL NORTE AND W OF THE OLD LAUNCH FIELD. I HAD BEEN FLYING APPROX 45 MINS WHEN I DECIDED TO LAND IN A LEVEL FIELD APPROX 300 FT LONG AND 150 FT WIDE. DOWNWIND OF THIS FIELD WAS A ROAD WITH POWER LINES ON THE FAR SIDE. I HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH THE CREW ABOUT THE LNDG SITE JUST PRIOR TO FLARING FOR TOUCHDOWN. I THEN OPENED THE PARACHUTE VENT TO LOSE LIFT AND LAND. AT THIS TIME, 2 CREW MEMBERS JUMPED ON THE BASKET TO ADD WT. HOWEVER, THE COMBINATION OF A WIND GUST AND LOOSE GRAVEL PROHIBITED THE BALLOON FROM STOPPING. AS WE DREW CLOSER TO THE DOWNWIND POWER LINE, THE CREW RELEASED FROM THE BASKET JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE ROAD. THE BALLOON WAS STOPPED BY AND CAME TO REST NEXT TO A GUY WIRE FOR A UTILITY POLE. THE ENVELOPE HAD LOST ENOUGH HEAT THAT IT DRAPED ACROSS THE POWER LINES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING AN AEROSTAR RX7 IN THE SPECIAL INTEREST EVENT WITH 1 PAX IN THE BASKET. PWR OF NEW MEXICO MADE SURE THAT THE PWR STAYED OFF. THE CONTACT TRIPPED A CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT DID NOT COME BACK ON. A DISCHARGE TRAVELED DOWN THE PYROMETER LINE TO THE GUY WIRE AND THEN TO THE EARTH. THE PYROMETER AND FABRIC WERE DAMAGED ALONG WITH ONE OF THE BALLOON CABLES. THE RPTR AND PAX STAYED IN THE BASKET UNTIL THE PWR COMPANY ARRIVED. A FSDO REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE BALLOON ON SITE, THEN AGAIN LATER IN A REPAIR FACILITY. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.