Narrative:

I was flying my cameron V77 hot air balloon on a pleasure flight with family and friends on jan/xa/99 afternoon. I launched from the area of 199TH and old metcalf and proceeded almost due west for the entire flight. The flight had proceeded uneventfully and I had taken 2 opportunities to make standing lndgs in empty fields to exchange passenger. On the last such exchange, I made mental note that the winds had perhaps increased and become a bit more erratic. Winds throughout the afternoon had appeared to be between 4- 8 KTS. My altitudes on the flts were from 500 ft to 1000 ft AGL, except during landing and takeoff. My last flight was with my 8 yr old son and the wife of my partner. As the flight drew to a close, I was (as on most flts) dealing with issues pertaining to the setting sun and fuel management as my tanks were running down. I believe I landed with plenty of fuel margin -- 10% each in 2 tanks and approximately 35% in the third. I was conscious that the wind had picked up and I was attempting to find a field or large yard where access would be easy for my crew. We were very close to flying directly into the sun, which was sitting right on the horizon and was producing substantial glare. I thought I had found a great landing space -- a large front yard or field in front of a house approximately 1/4 mi south of 199TH street. There was good access up a driveway and no animals were in sight. I committed to the approach. I did notice and perhaps was preoccupied with some small ornamental signs on the east side of the driveway and in the glare did not see the electric service lines (residential) on the other side to the west of the driveway. No excuse -- but these were fairly light lines on thin gray poles somewhat lower than usual. I just did not see them until I was at about 15 ft AGL and fully committed to a landing on the east of the driveway. Our momentum carried us across the driveway, where the balloon draped over the wires and we came to a stop. I quickly checked my passenger, determined no injuries, and ordered them away from the basket. There was no arcing at this point, so I decided to disconnect the deflating envelope from the basket by unclipping the envelope carabiners. I shut off the fuel system and exited the basket. Nieghbors called the power company and the fire department. While we waited for the power company, I thought I would try to free the balloon envelope which now had only the inflation scoop and first row of panels (essentially, the mouth at the bottom of the balloon) draped over the wires. My gentle tugging, however, brought the two lines together. I heard a 'zzzip' and saw a single arc and then I believe the breaker tripped. The arcing did start a small smoldering fire in several panels in that first row by the mouth. Several of these panels will have to be replaced and one corner of the scoop will need patching. A 1-FT section of load tape also looks like it may need to be replaced. No damage to basket, burner, or fuel system. When the power company arrived, we managed to just pull the last portion of the mouth and scoop off the wires and packed up. I made a bad mistake in not seeing the wires in time to avoid the strike. Once I recognized our predicament, I think my decisions and reactions were good. I followed what the research has shown and got on the ground in front of the wires. I did not try to climb out, which could have produced a disastrous result if I had hit at basket level. No injuries to persons, and very minor to the balloon. I have learned an important lesson regarding the dangers of landing directly into a setting sun and next time will land earlier to eliminate this risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT STRUCK ELECTRICAL WIRES DURING LNDG CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY CAMERON V77 HOT AIR BALLOON ON A PLEASURE FLT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON JAN/XA/99 AFTERNOON. I LAUNCHED FROM THE AREA OF 199TH AND OLD METCALF AND PROCEEDED ALMOST DUE W FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. THE FLT HAD PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY AND I HAD TAKEN 2 OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE STANDING LNDGS IN EMPTY FIELDS TO EXCHANGE PAX. ON THE LAST SUCH EXCHANGE, I MADE MENTAL NOTE THAT THE WINDS HAD PERHAPS INCREASED AND BECOME A BIT MORE ERRATIC. WINDS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HAD APPEARED TO BE BTWN 4- 8 KTS. MY ALTS ON THE FLTS WERE FROM 500 FT TO 1000 FT AGL, EXCEPT DURING LNDG AND TKOF. MY LAST FLT WAS WITH MY 8 YR OLD SON AND THE WIFE OF MY PARTNER. AS THE FLT DREW TO A CLOSE, I WAS (AS ON MOST FLTS) DEALING WITH ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE SETTING SUN AND FUEL MGMNT AS MY TANKS WERE RUNNING DOWN. I BELIEVE I LANDED WITH PLENTY OF FUEL MARGIN -- 10% EACH IN 2 TANKS AND APPROX 35% IN THE THIRD. I WAS CONSCIOUS THAT THE WIND HAD PICKED UP AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FIND A FIELD OR LARGE YARD WHERE ACCESS WOULD BE EASY FOR MY CREW. WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO FLYING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN, WHICH WAS SITTING RIGHT ON THE HORIZON AND WAS PRODUCING SUBSTANTIAL GLARE. I THOUGHT I HAD FOUND A GREAT LNDG SPACE -- A LARGE FRONT YARD OR FIELD IN FRONT OF A HOUSE APPROX 1/4 MI S OF 199TH STREET. THERE WAS GOOD ACCESS UP A DRIVEWAY AND NO ANIMALS WERE IN SIGHT. I COMMITTED TO THE APCH. I DID NOTICE AND PERHAPS WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH SOME SMALL ORNAMENTAL SIGNS ON THE E SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY AND IN THE GLARE DID NOT SEE THE ELECTRIC SVC LINES (RESIDENTIAL) ON THE OTHER SIDE TO THE W OF THE DRIVEWAY. NO EXCUSE -- BUT THESE WERE FAIRLY LIGHT LINES ON THIN GRAY POLES SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN USUAL. I JUST DID NOT SEE THEM UNTIL I WAS AT ABOUT 15 FT AGL AND FULLY COMMITTED TO A LNDG ON THE E OF THE DRIVEWAY. OUR MOMENTUM CARRIED US ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE THE BALLOON DRAPED OVER THE WIRES AND WE CAME TO A STOP. I QUICKLY CHKED MY PAX, DETERMINED NO INJURIES, AND ORDERED THEM AWAY FROM THE BASKET. THERE WAS NO ARCING AT THIS POINT, SO I DECIDED TO DISCONNECT THE DEFLATING ENVELOPE FROM THE BASKET BY UNCLIPPING THE ENVELOPE CARABINERS. I SHUT OFF THE FUEL SYS AND EXITED THE BASKET. NIEGHBORS CALLED THE POWER COMPANY AND THE FIRE DEPT. WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE POWER COMPANY, I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY TO FREE THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WHICH NOW HAD ONLY THE INFLATION SCOOP AND FIRST ROW OF PANELS (ESSENTIALLY, THE MOUTH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BALLOON) DRAPED OVER THE WIRES. MY GENTLE TUGGING, HOWEVER, BROUGHT THE TWO LINES TOGETHER. I HEARD A 'ZZZIP' AND SAW A SINGLE ARC AND THEN I BELIEVE THE BREAKER TRIPPED. THE ARCING DID START A SMALL SMOLDERING FIRE IN SEVERAL PANELS IN THAT FIRST ROW BY THE MOUTH. SEVERAL OF THESE PANELS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND ONE CORNER OF THE SCOOP WILL NEED PATCHING. A 1-FT SECTION OF LOAD TAPE ALSO LOOKS LIKE IT MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. NO DAMAGE TO BASKET, BURNER, OR FUEL SYS. WHEN THE POWER COMPANY ARRIVED, WE MANAGED TO JUST PULL THE LAST PORTION OF THE MOUTH AND SCOOP OFF THE WIRES AND PACKED UP. I MADE A BAD MISTAKE IN NOT SEEING THE WIRES IN TIME TO AVOID THE STRIKE. ONCE I RECOGNIZED OUR PREDICAMENT, I THINK MY DECISIONS AND REACTIONS WERE GOOD. I FOLLOWED WHAT THE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN AND GOT ON THE GND IN FRONT OF THE WIRES. I DID NOT TRY TO CLB OUT, WHICH COULD HAVE PRODUCED A DISASTROUS RESULT IF I HAD HIT AT BASKET LEVEL. NO INJURIES TO PERSONS, AND VERY MINOR TO THE BALLOON. I HAVE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON REGARDING THE DANGERS OF LNDG DIRECTLY INTO A SETTING SUN AND NEXT TIME WILL LAND EARLIER TO ELIMINATE THIS RISK.

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.