Balloon pilot was distraction while trying to fasten his safety harness to the basket during a landing procedure and was a tad late in applying burner power to overfly the wires he was approaching. He hit the wires, causing a small grass fire below him.

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Attributes
ACN	372479
Time
Date	199706
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sts
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 60 agl bound upper : 60
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 725
ASRS Report	372479
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was in equilibrium approaching power lines en route to a landing in a city park. This was a balloon flight with 2 passenger, strangers to me. I was wearing a harness to prevent ejection from the basket on a hard landing, but I had not yet attached it to the basket. I was fumbling with the harness as we hit some down air. I hit the burner to climb but snagged the top line, stretching it up. When it released from the bottom edge of the basket, it rebounded and arced with one of the other wires. The arc started a small grass fire below the wires. This was put out by my chase crew and some observers. The incident was reported to the windsor police and fire, the balloon meister and the sts tower chief. The landing was uneventful and the passenger were not traumatized. Next time, hook the harness up at altitude or before that.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON PLT WAS DISTR WHILE TRYING TO FASTEN HIS SAFETY HARNESS TO THE BASKET DURING A LNDG PROC AND WAS A TAD LATE IN APPLYING BURNER PWR TO OVERFLY THE WIRES HE WAS APCHING. HE HIT THE WIRES, CAUSING A SMALL GRASS FIRE BELOW HIM.

Narrative: I WAS IN EQUILIBRIUM APCHING PWR LINES ENRTE TO A LNDG IN A CITY PARK. THIS WAS A BALLOON FLT WITH 2 PAX, STRANGERS TO ME. I WAS WEARING A HARNESS TO PREVENT EJECTION FROM THE BASKET ON A HARD LNDG, BUT I HAD NOT YET ATTACHED IT TO THE BASKET. I WAS FUMBLING WITH THE HARNESS AS WE HIT SOME DOWN AIR. I HIT THE BURNER TO CLB BUT SNAGGED THE TOP LINE, STRETCHING IT UP. WHEN IT RELEASED FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE BASKET, IT REBOUNDED AND ARCED WITH ONE OF THE OTHER WIRES. THE ARC STARTED A SMALL GRASS FIRE BELOW THE WIRES. THIS WAS PUT OUT BY MY CHASE CREW AND SOME OBSERVERS. THE INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE WINDSOR POLICE AND FIRE, THE BALLOON MEISTER AND THE STS TWR CHIEF. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE PAX WERE NOT TRAUMATIZED. NEXT TIME, HOOK THE HARNESS UP AT ALT OR BEFORE THAT.

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.