Pilot of a hot air balloon giving passenger rides made an emergency landing in a grove of trees afte...

Attributes
ACN	474249
Time
Date	200005
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 80
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : tethered
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 80 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	474249
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : tether ropes other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

While performing a balloon tether an unexpected gust of wind snatched my balloon off of the ground, throwing it approximately 80 ft AGL to the top of the ropes where one upwind line broke, followed by 2 more (total of 3 were being used). After the last line broke, free flight was initiated and an emergency landing was performed approximately on 1/8 of a mi from the original tether site. This is an unpredictable side of performing tethers during the day, and I believe that, although they were not frayed or visibly damaged, my ropes are almost 10 yrs old and may have taken the snap much better if they were not as old. The only option to preventing this would have been not to perform an afternoon tether, but that is not always feasible. I think a 4TH upwind line may have helped or just having newer lines that could take the pressure being applied. There were 4 passenger and pilot onboard -- there were no injuries. On the human performance side of the issue -- as soon as the balloon was snatched into the air, I initiated vent-top, emergency rip-out procedures but when the 2ND upwind line broke the balloon was left dangling over power lines so further rip-out was too dangerous to consider. There was no time to do anything else until the 3RD line broke initiating free flight -- when a controled, emergency landing was effected amongst a stand of trees to 'lock' the balloon in place in case there were further microburst and/or thermal wind activity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON GIVING PAX RIDES MADE AN EMER LNDG IN A GROVE OF TREES AFTER A GUST OF WIND BROKE THE TETHER ROPES CAUSING THE BALLOON TO BECOME AIRBORNE.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING A BALLOON TETHER AN UNEXPECTED GUST OF WIND SNATCHED MY BALLOON OFF OF THE GND, THROWING IT APPROX 80 FT AGL TO THE TOP OF THE ROPES WHERE ONE UPWIND LINE BROKE, FOLLOWED BY 2 MORE (TOTAL OF 3 WERE BEING USED). AFTER THE LAST LINE BROKE, FREE FLT WAS INITIATED AND AN EMER LNDG WAS PERFORMED APPROX ON 1/8 OF A MI FROM THE ORIGINAL TETHER SITE. THIS IS AN UNPREDICTABLE SIDE OF PERFORMING TETHERS DURING THE DAY, AND I BELIEVE THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT FRAYED OR VISIBLY DAMAGED, MY ROPES ARE ALMOST 10 YRS OLD AND MAY HAVE TAKEN THE SNAP MUCH BETTER IF THEY WERE NOT AS OLD. THE ONLY OPTION TO PREVENTING THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN NOT TO PERFORM AN AFTERNOON TETHER, BUT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE. I THINK A 4TH UPWIND LINE MAY HAVE HELPED OR JUST HAVING NEWER LINES THAT COULD TAKE THE PRESSURE BEING APPLIED. THERE WERE 4 PAX AND PLT ONBOARD -- THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ON THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE SIDE OF THE ISSUE -- AS SOON AS THE BALLOON WAS SNATCHED INTO THE AIR, I INITIATED VENT-TOP, EMER RIP-OUT PROCS BUT WHEN THE 2ND UPWIND LINE BROKE THE BALLOON WAS LEFT DANGLING OVER PWR LINES SO FURTHER RIP-OUT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONSIDER. THERE WAS NO TIME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL THE 3RD LINE BROKE INITIATING FREE FLT -- WHEN A CTLED, EMER LNDG WAS EFFECTED AMONGST A STAND OF TREES TO 'LOCK' THE BALLOON IN PLACE IN CASE THERE WERE FURTHER MICROBURST AND/OR THERMAL WIND ACTIVITY.

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.

Pilot of a hot air balloon giving passenger rides made an emergency landing in a grove of trees after a gust of wind broke the tether ropes causing the balloon to become airborne.