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Pilot of a hot air balloon struck a house roof with the balloon basket during a landing abort due to unexpected light wind in the opposite direction. Less lift for abort than expected due to reduced propane gas pressure for hot air burner.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 397105 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ads |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 30 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 397105 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Attempted to land balloon in very light variable wind conditions. Landing target was public street in subdivision. Normally would not land there but wind conditions were so light that we weren't going any place else. Pulled valve line to release hot air from envelope and began descent from 200 ft. Wind on deck was 180 degrees from wind at 200 ft so lateral movement to west did not continue, and full burn did not recover and I did not climb soon enough to avoid touch-and-go on roof. Was able to observe that there was no apparent damage to roof, and since it was early on sunday morning, I doubt homeowner even knew we were there. Power less than normal, but acceptable 90 pound pressure of propane contributed to failure to climb out on a timely basis.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON STRUCK A HOUSE ROOF WITH THE BALLOON BASKET DURING A LNDG ABORT DUE TO UNEXPECTED LIGHT WIND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LESS LIFT FOR ABORT THAN EXPECTED DUE TO REDUCED PROPANE GAS PRESSURE FOR HOT AIR BURNER.
Narrative: ATTEMPTED TO LAND BALLOON IN VERY LIGHT VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS. LNDG TARGET WAS PUBLIC STREET IN SUBDIVISION. NORMALLY WOULD NOT LAND THERE BUT WIND CONDITIONS WERE SO LIGHT THAT WE WEREN'T GOING ANY PLACE ELSE. PULLED VALVE LINE TO RELEASE HOT AIR FROM ENVELOPE AND BEGAN DSCNT FROM 200 FT. WIND ON DECK WAS 180 DEGS FROM WIND AT 200 FT SO LATERAL MOVEMENT TO W DID NOT CONTINUE, AND FULL BURN DID NOT RECOVER AND I DID NOT CLB SOON ENOUGH TO AVOID TOUCH-AND-GO ON ROOF. WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THAT THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO ROOF, AND SINCE IT WAS EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING, I DOUBT HOMEOWNER EVEN KNEW WE WERE THERE. PWR LESS THAN NORMAL, BUT ACCEPTABLE 90 LB PRESSURE OF PROPANE CONTRIBUTED TO FAILURE TO CLB OUT ON A TIMELY BASIS.
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.