Balloon contact with power lines during landing.

Attributes
ACN	438662
Time
Date	199905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : elp.vortac
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 10420 flight time type : 252
ASRS Report	438662
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While participating in a special event with 2 passenger aboard, I noted a large paved parking lot ahead. It looked like a perfect place to land and pack up my balloon. The lot was behind (west) a restaurant located on the west frontage road of I-10. I approached from the east on a southwest track. There was a chain link fence topped with barbed wire about 15 ft away along the north side of the paved area. I asked my passenger to keep an eye out for wires and told them we would skim the fence and touch down on the edge of the paved area. No one saw wires on the approach. The low angle sun and/or the dark pavement in the background may have been what caused the wires to be invisible. Additionally, the supporting poles were further apart than is usual and they also blended into the background. I saw the wires outlined against the sky just as we were about to touch down. I shouted 'get down' and pulled my parachute top out as we made contact. The envelope draped across the wires and received 3 small burns. We all stayed in the basket until power company personnel assured us that power was off and it was safe to exit. Except for the contact, it was a smooth soft touchdown. There were no injuries.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON CONTACT WITH PWR LINES DURING LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A SPECIAL EVENT WITH 2 PAX ABOARD, I NOTED A LARGE PAVED PARKING LOT AHEAD. IT LOOKED LIKE A PERFECT PLACE TO LAND AND PACK UP MY BALLOON. THE LOT WAS BEHIND (W) A RESTAURANT LOCATED ON THE W FRONTAGE ROAD OF I-10. I APCHED FROM THE E ON A SW TRACK. THERE WAS A CHAIN LINK FENCE TOPPED WITH BARBED WIRE ABOUT 15 FT AWAY ALONG THE N SIDE OF THE PAVED AREA. I ASKED MY PAX TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR WIRES AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD SKIM THE FENCE AND TOUCH DOWN ON THE EDGE OF THE PAVED AREA. NO ONE SAW WIRES ON THE APCH. THE LOW ANGLE SUN AND/OR THE DARK PAVEMENT IN THE BACKGROUND MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT CAUSED THE WIRES TO BE INVISIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SUPPORTING POLES WERE FURTHER APART THAN IS USUAL AND THEY ALSO BLENDED INTO THE BACKGROUND. I SAW THE WIRES OUTLINED AGAINST THE SKY JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN. I SHOUTED 'GET DOWN' AND PULLED MY PARACHUTE TOP OUT AS WE MADE CONTACT. THE ENVELOPE DRAPED ACROSS THE WIRES AND RECEIVED 3 SMALL BURNS. WE ALL STAYED IN THE BASKET UNTIL PWR COMPANY PERSONNEL ASSURED US THAT PWR WAS OFF AND IT WAS SAFE TO EXIT. EXCEPT FOR THE CONTACT, IT WAS A SMOOTH SOFT TOUCHDOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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.