A lighter than air balloon lands on top of power lines in cleburne, tx.

Attributes
ACN	375789
Time
Date	199707
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : f18
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	375789
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying in a balloon. We took off approximately 35 mins before sunset in hot hazy conditions. We flew from southeast to northwest and after 15 mins we found a landing field north of a high school. I started my descent into the field, concentrating on avoiding the roof of the building and light poles in the parking lot. After I felt that these obstacles were avoided I continued my descent into the field when I saw power lines 50-75 ft ahead. I turned on both my burners for 1-2 seconds until I realized I would not clear the power line. I told my passenger to get down in the basket. We struck both power lines and the balloon lurched forward. We rose about 10 ft and rested on the top line. After 5 seconds, the top line broke and the balloon swung and we made an uneventful landing. After review of the passenger and equipment we found no damage to either. After reviewing the incident, a number of factors contributed: 1) haze and the sun indirectly in front of me cut down on my vision. 2) obstacle fixation on the building and light poles gave me a false sense of security that I cleared all obstacles before entering the field. 3) electrical poles that were further apart than usual did not catch my eye. 4) possible fatigue from work week and overnight travel cut my response time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIGHTER THAN AIR BALLOON LANDS ON TOP OF PWR LINES IN CLEBURNE, TX.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IN A BALLOON. WE TOOK OFF APPROX 35 MINS BEFORE SUNSET IN HOT HAZY CONDITIONS. WE FLEW FROM SE TO NW AND AFTER 15 MINS WE FOUND A LNDG FIELD N OF A HIGH SCHOOL. I STARTED MY DSCNT INTO THE FIELD, CONCENTRATING ON AVOIDING THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING AND LIGHT POLES IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER I FELT THAT THESE OBSTACLES WERE AVOIDED I CONTINUED MY DSCNT INTO THE FIELD WHEN I SAW PWR LINES 50-75 FT AHEAD. I TURNED ON BOTH MY BURNERS FOR 1-2 SECONDS UNTIL I REALIZED I WOULD NOT CLR THE PWR LINE. I TOLD MY PAX TO GET DOWN IN THE BASKET. WE STRUCK BOTH PWR LINES AND THE BALLOON LURCHED FORWARD. WE ROSE ABOUT 10 FT AND RESTED ON THE TOP LINE. AFTER 5 SECONDS, THE TOP LINE BROKE AND THE BALLOON SWUNG AND WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AFTER REVIEW OF THE PAX AND EQUIP WE FOUND NO DAMAGE TO EITHER. AFTER REVIEWING THE INCIDENT, A NUMBER OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTED: 1) HAZE AND THE SUN INDIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME CUT DOWN ON MY VISION. 2) OBSTACLE FIXATION ON THE BUILDING AND LIGHT POLES GAVE ME A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT I CLRED ALL OBSTACLES BEFORE ENTERING THE FIELD. 3) ELECTRICAL POLES THAT WERE FURTHER APART THAN USUAL DID NOT CATCH MY EYE. 4) POSSIBLE FATIGUE FROM WORK WK AND OVERNIGHT TRAVEL CUT MY RESPONSE TIME.

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.