A hot air balloon pilot struck a power utility pole and damaged an automobile on landing.

Attributes
ACN	445720
Time
Date	199908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 15
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	445720
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying at a special event, I attempted a landing at the rear yard of a farm. There was a single 240 volt power line running from a private utility pole to a corn storage barn. However, upon descending towards the landing site, it became evident that the power line traversed the area. I added heat, but the balloon did not react soon enough. The power line was contacted at mid basket. The force of the impact knocked over the utility pole that was rotten at its base. It broke the rear window of a parked automobile. There was no damage to the aircraft. This occurred within 25 mins of sunset with the worry that other landing sites were unavailable due to crop coverage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT STRUCK A PWR UTILITY POLE AND DAMAGED AN AUTOMOBILE ON LNDG.

Narrative: FLYING AT A SPECIAL EVENT, I ATTEMPTED A LNDG AT THE REAR YARD OF A FARM. THERE WAS A SINGLE 240 VOLT PWR LINE RUNNING FROM A PVT UTILITY POLE TO A CORN STORAGE BARN. HOWEVER, UPON DSNDING TOWARDS THE LNDG SITE, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE PWR LINE TRAVERSED THE AREA. I ADDED HEAT, BUT THE BALLOON DID NOT REACT SOON ENOUGH. THE PWR LINE WAS CONTACTED AT MID BASKET. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT KNOCKED OVER THE UTILITY POLE THAT WAS ROTTEN AT ITS BASE. IT BROKE THE REAR WINDOW OF A PARKED AUTOMOBILE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN 25 MINS OF SUNSET WITH THE WORRY THAT OTHER LNDG SITES WERE UNAVAILABLE DUE TO CROP COVERAGE.

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.