Pilot of piccard stretch six balloon makes a landing into the sun and when able to block the sun sig...

Attributes
ACN	394082
Time
Date	199802
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 1 flight time total : 242 flight time type : 159
ASRS Report	394082
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Duration of flight: 35 mins. Wind: 330 degrees at 6 KTS. Distance traveled: 3 1/2 mi. Occupants: pilot plus one. Normal takeoff, after 10 mins in flight came low over open field for a few touch and goes and contour flying. Did intermediate landing to pick up passenger. Flew on for 25 mins and decided to land behind a shopping strip. Approach was normal however vision was hindered as my flight path was directly into the sun. I cleared the shopping strip and set the balloon down. As we landed, the balloon shadowed the sun and I saw a set of power lines in my path. The drag was only 3 or 4 ft before the balloon envelope's final nesting spot was over a set of 4 power lines. The top 1/4 of the envelope was over the lines. My passenger and I quickly got out of the basket, and I noticed the envelope was sliding off the lines. This action was short lived as this motion was pulling the 4 wires together. Within a couple of mins the lines touched which blew a circuit breaker and also severed a line. The line fell to the ground. The envelope suffered a few burn holes however no damage to basket/burner system, and no one was injured. Police and fire department were on scene quickly and notified electric company. Electric showed up with a barrel truck and lifted the balloon off wires. The electric repair crew then arrived and repaired damaged line. Total time from balloon landing to pick up -- 1 hour 40 mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PICCARD STRETCH SIX BALLOON MAKES A LNDG INTO THE SUN AND WHEN ABLE TO BLOCK THE SUN SIGHTS PWR LINES DIRECTLY IN THE PATH. ENVELOPE CONTACTS THE PWR LINES THEN BEGINS A SLIDE WHICH BRINGS THE LINES TOGETHER. RESULT IS A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER AND DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE.

Narrative: DURATION OF FLT: 35 MINS. WIND: 330 DEGS AT 6 KTS. DISTANCE TRAVELED: 3 1/2 MI. OCCUPANTS: PLT PLUS ONE. NORMAL TKOF, AFTER 10 MINS IN FLT CAME LOW OVER OPEN FIELD FOR A FEW TOUCH AND GOES AND CONTOUR FLYING. DID INTERMEDIATE LNDG TO PICK UP PAX. FLEW ON FOR 25 MINS AND DECIDED TO LAND BEHIND A SHOPPING STRIP. APCH WAS NORMAL HOWEVER VISION WAS HINDERED AS MY FLT PATH WAS DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN. I CLRED THE SHOPPING STRIP AND SET THE BALLOON DOWN. AS WE LANDED, THE BALLOON SHADOWED THE SUN AND I SAW A SET OF PWR LINES IN MY PATH. THE DRAG WAS ONLY 3 OR 4 FT BEFORE THE BALLOON ENVELOPE'S FINAL NESTING SPOT WAS OVER A SET OF 4 PWR LINES. THE TOP 1/4 OF THE ENVELOPE WAS OVER THE LINES. MY PAX AND I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE BASKET, AND I NOTICED THE ENVELOPE WAS SLIDING OFF THE LINES. THIS ACTION WAS SHORT LIVED AS THIS MOTION WAS PULLING THE 4 WIRES TOGETHER. WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS THE LINES TOUCHED WHICH BLEW A CIRCUIT BREAKER AND ALSO SEVERED A LINE. THE LINE FELL TO THE GND. THE ENVELOPE SUFFERED A FEW BURN HOLES HOWEVER NO DAMAGE TO BASKET/BURNER SYS, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. POLICE AND FIRE DEPT WERE ON SCENE QUICKLY AND NOTIFIED ELECTRIC COMPANY. ELECTRIC SHOWED UP WITH A BARREL TRUCK AND LIFTED THE BALLOON OFF WIRES. THE ELECTRIC REPAIR CREW THEN ARRIVED AND REPAIRED DAMAGED LINE. TOTAL TIME FROM BALLOON LNDG TO PICK UP -- 1 HR 40 MINS.

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.

Pilot of piccard stretch six balloon makes a landing into the sun and when able to block the sun sights power lines directly in the path. Envelope contacts the power lines then begins a slide which brings the lines together. Result is a popped circuit breaker and damage to the envelope.