Narrative:

During a solo flight, surface wind conditions changed significantly. Initial winds of 160 degrees at 5 KTS remained consistent at 800 ft AGL while surface winds changed to approximately 050 degrees at 12 KTS. The pilot decided to land in a pasture across a gravel road from a patch of trees and partial field that had a power line running along its far side. While in a gradual descent, 150-200 FPM, from 150 ft AGL, the pilot realized the balloon was not achieving level flight when anticipated, 20 ft above treetops. During the descent short blasts on the burner were being activated until it was obvious sufficient altitude may not be obtained to clear a small 2 wire power line ahead. At the point of this realization, 100 yards from the power line, long burns were activated on 1 blast valve. At 100 ft from the power line it was still uncertain whether sufficient power line clearance would be obtained and a long burn was activated on both blast valves. The aircraft contacted the top single strand power line approximately 6 inches to 1 ft up from the bottom of the basket. As a result, the power pole toppled and power line snapped. The aircraft was able to fly on with minimal effect and land in the targeted pasture. No damage to aircraft, pilot or other property resulted. Observations: this was the first flight for the pilot since sep/96, 5 months prior. The pilot did not have much experience in flying during windy conditions. A poor decision was made to select a field that required flying over power lines at lower levels just prior to landing. There may have been additional topographical wind drainage in the area that the pilot did not realize. Too long of a delay occurred between the time the pilot realized sufficient altitude may not be achieved to clear the power line and the maximum double burn activated on the burner. After not having flown in months, the pilot should have chosen the largest pasture in the county to carry out a ripout landing in. Another pilot had successfully landed in the same targeted pasture, although on the wider end of the field, and this may have fixated the pilot's determination to make the landing there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BALLOON HEAD AX8-88 IN ATTEMPTING TO LAND FAILS TO LEVEL WHEN ANTICIPATED AND THE BASKET HITS A PWR LINE AND TOPPLES PWR POLE. SUCCESSFUL LNDG ACHIEVED.

Narrative: DURING A SOLO FLT, SURFACE WIND CONDITIONS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY. INITIAL WINDS OF 160 DEGS AT 5 KTS REMAINED CONSISTENT AT 800 FT AGL WHILE SURFACE WINDS CHANGED TO APPROX 050 DEGS AT 12 KTS. THE PLT DECIDED TO LAND IN A PASTURE ACROSS A GRAVEL ROAD FROM A PATCH OF TREES AND PARTIAL FIELD THAT HAD A PWR LINE RUNNING ALONG ITS FAR SIDE. WHILE IN A GRADUAL DSCNT, 150-200 FPM, FROM 150 FT AGL, THE PLT REALIZED THE BALLOON WAS NOT ACHIEVING LEVEL FLT WHEN ANTICIPATED, 20 FT ABOVE TREETOPS. DURING THE DSCNT SHORT BLASTS ON THE BURNER WERE BEING ACTIVATED UNTIL IT WAS OBVIOUS SUFFICIENT ALT MAY NOT BE OBTAINED TO CLR A SMALL 2 WIRE PWR LINE AHEAD. AT THE POINT OF THIS REALIZATION, 100 YARDS FROM THE PWR LINE, LONG BURNS WERE ACTIVATED ON 1 BLAST VALVE. AT 100 FT FROM THE PWR LINE IT WAS STILL UNCERTAIN WHETHER SUFFICIENT PWR LINE CLRNC WOULD BE OBTAINED AND A LONG BURN WAS ACTIVATED ON BOTH BLAST VALVES. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TOP SINGLE STRAND PWR LINE APPROX 6 INCHES TO 1 FT UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET. AS A RESULT, THE PWR POLE TOPPLED AND PWR LINE SNAPPED. THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO FLY ON WITH MINIMAL EFFECT AND LAND IN THE TARGETED PASTURE. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, PLT OR OTHER PROPERTY RESULTED. OBSERVATIONS: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT FOR THE PLT SINCE SEP/96, 5 MONTHS PRIOR. THE PLT DID NOT HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN FLYING DURING WINDY CONDITIONS. A POOR DECISION WAS MADE TO SELECT A FIELD THAT REQUIRED FLYING OVER PWR LINES AT LOWER LEVELS JUST PRIOR TO LNDG. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL TOPOGRAPHICAL WIND DRAINAGE IN THE AREA THAT THE PLT DID NOT REALIZE. TOO LONG OF A DELAY OCCURRED BTWN THE TIME THE PLT REALIZED SUFFICIENT ALT MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED TO CLR THE PWR LINE AND THE MAX DOUBLE BURN ACTIVATED ON THE BURNER. AFTER NOT HAVING FLOWN IN MONTHS, THE PLT SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE LARGEST PASTURE IN THE COUNTY TO CARRY OUT A RIPOUT LNDG IN. ANOTHER PLT HAD SUCCESSFULLY LANDED IN THE SAME TARGETED PASTURE, ALTHOUGH ON THE WIDER END OF THE FIELD, AND THIS MAY HAVE FIXATED THE PLT'S DETERMINATION TO MAKE THE LNDG THERE.

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.