A balloon pilot in a cameron V90 hits the ground, rebounds into a utility line ground wire, snapping...

Attributes
ACN	403091
Time
Date	199805
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 57t
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 12
ASRS Report	403091
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

At approximately 300 ft AGL, I attempted to activate the burner to initiate a climb. The burner did not activate due to pilot light being extinguished. So I attempted to use the other burner, but the pilot light on that burner also had extinguished. I then attempted to use the piezo igniters on the burner to no avail. I then used my hand-held igniter to attempt a relight. This also was to no avail. The balloon had begun a descent at this point. I then adjusted the pilot light adjustment on the propane tank and using my hand-held igniter, was able to successfully relight one burner and using it, relit the other burner with no adjustment to the other burner. I used both burners to arrest my descent and prepared myself for contact with the ground. The basket hit the ground and rebounded (with all the heat in the envelope) and was ascending when it hit a grounding wire on a utility line, causing the utility line to snap. No damage incurred to the balloon system during that wire strike. However, prior to the wire strike, some panels burned from the burner's flame on the rebound of the hard landing. No structural or control surfaces were affected and I landed safely a few mins later, 45 mins from this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BALLOON PLT IN A CAMERON V90 HITS THE GND, REBOUNDS INTO A UTILITY LINE GND WIRE, SNAPPING IT, AND THEN LEAVES THE AREA. THE PLT HAD LOST BURNER CAPABILITY DUE TO THE PILOT LIGHTS BEING INOP ON BOTH BURNERS.

Narrative: AT APPROX 300 FT AGL, I ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE BURNER TO INITIATE A CLB. THE BURNER DID NOT ACTIVATE DUE TO PILOT LIGHT BEING EXTINGUISHED. SO I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE OTHER BURNER, BUT THE PILOT LIGHT ON THAT BURNER ALSO HAD EXTINGUISHED. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO USE THE PIEZO IGNITERS ON THE BURNER TO NO AVAIL. I THEN USED MY HAND-HELD IGNITER TO ATTEMPT A RELIGHT. THIS ALSO WAS TO NO AVAIL. THE BALLOON HAD BEGUN A DSCNT AT THIS POINT. I THEN ADJUSTED THE PILOT LIGHT ADJUSTMENT ON THE PROPANE TANK AND USING MY HAND-HELD IGNITER, WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RELIGHT ONE BURNER AND USING IT, RELIT THE OTHER BURNER WITH NO ADJUSTMENT TO THE OTHER BURNER. I USED BOTH BURNERS TO ARREST MY DSCNT AND PREPARED MYSELF FOR CONTACT WITH THE GND. THE BASKET HIT THE GND AND REBOUNDED (WITH ALL THE HEAT IN THE ENVELOPE) AND WAS ASCENDING WHEN IT HIT A GNDING WIRE ON A UTILITY LINE, CAUSING THE UTILITY LINE TO SNAP. NO DAMAGE INCURRED TO THE BALLOON SYS DURING THAT WIRE STRIKE. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO THE WIRE STRIKE, SOME PANELS BURNED FROM THE BURNER'S FLAME ON THE REBOUND OF THE HARD LNDG. NO STRUCTURAL OR CTL SURFACES WERE AFFECTED AND I LANDED SAFELY A FEW MINS LATER, 45 MINS FROM THIS 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.

A balloon pilot in a cameron V90 hits the ground, rebounds into a utility line ground wire, snapping it, and then leaves the area. The pilot had lost burner capability due to the pilot lights being inoperative on both burners.