A balloon pilot runs into a power line while attempting to cross the crown of a hill.

Attributes
ACN	399936
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sus
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lnk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 612
ASRS Report	399936
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other non adherence : far 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 launched hot air balloon from st louis county. I flew west, the wind direction from the pibal that I had sent up earlier indicated a wind direction from 110 to 070 degrees going west. We flew 45 minutes then came in for a landing, in an open field. The wind direction on the deck was different from aloft winds so we started heading for a horse farm. I started burning with the whisper burner so I would not scare the horses. I stayed on the whisper burner, which is a lot quieter than the regular burner all the way across the field, until I had to rise because of a wooded hill. Because I used the less powerful whisper I did not have a hot (ready to react) balloon as I went up the slope. When I went to the regular burner the wind speed picked up because of the upward slope of the hill. It carried me up the hill and across it faster than I had anticipated. I was in a wind rotor from the wind going over the hill (200 ft). I caught a power line going to some houses. When the basket caught the line it broke. We flew on and landed and went back later to check the line which was being fixed. There was no damage to the balloon or injury to anyone in the balloon. I believe the problem started before I reached the hill. I was concerned about not scaring the horses so I used the quieter but less effective burner until I reached the upward sloped hill so I was caught in the faster wind going up and over the hill and did not have enough time to burn out of the rotor effect of the wind going up the hill. I did not put the two flying types of land terrain together so I was not ready or hot enough to compensate for the faster wind going over the hill.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BALLOON PLT RUNS INTO A PWR LINE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CROSS THE CROWN OF A HILL.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED HOT AIR BALLOON FROM ST LOUIS COUNTY. I FLEW W, THE WIND DIRECTION FROM THE PIBAL THAT I HAD SENT UP EARLIER INDICATED A WIND DIRECTION FROM 110 TO 070 DEGS GOING W. WE FLEW 45 MINUTES THEN CAME IN FOR A LNDG, IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE WIND DIRECTION ON THE DECK WAS DIFFERENT FROM ALOFT WINDS SO WE STARTED HEADING FOR A HORSE FARM. I STARTED BURNING WITH THE WHISPER BURNER SO I WOULD NOT SCARE THE HORSES. I STAYED ON THE WHISPER BURNER, WHICH IS A LOT QUIETER THAN THE REGULAR BURNER ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE FIELD, UNTIL I HAD TO RISE BECAUSE OF A WOODED HILL. BECAUSE I USED THE LESS POWERFUL WHISPER I DID NOT HAVE A HOT (READY TO REACT) BALLOON AS I WENT UP THE SLOPE. WHEN I WENT TO THE REGULAR BURNER THE WIND SPEED PICKED UP BECAUSE OF THE UPWARD SLOPE OF THE HILL. IT CARRIED ME UP THE HILL AND ACROSS IT FASTER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. I WAS IN A WIND ROTOR FROM THE WIND GOING OVER THE HILL (200 FT). I CAUGHT A PWR LINE GOING TO SOME HOUSES. WHEN THE BASKET CAUGHT THE LINE IT BROKE. WE FLEW ON AND LANDED AND WENT BACK LATER TO CHK THE LINE WHICH WAS BEING FIXED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR INJURY TO ANYONE IN THE BALLOON. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE I REACHED THE HILL. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT SCARING THE HORSES SO I USED THE QUIETER BUT LESS EFFECTIVE BURNER UNTIL I REACHED THE UPWARD SLOPED HILL SO I WAS CAUGHT IN THE FASTER WIND GOING UP AND OVER THE HILL AND DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BURN OUT OF THE ROTOR EFFECT OF THE WIND GOING UP THE HILL. I DID NOT PUT THE TWO FLYING TYPES OF LAND TERRAIN TOGETHER SO I WAS NOT READY OR HOT ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE FOR THE FASTER WIND GOING OVER THE HILL.

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.