Balloon contacts power line during landing in an apparent open field.

Attributes
ACN	481042
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdc.artcc
State Reference	MD
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	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 1880 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	481042
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : fire rescve
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was approaching a very large uncultivated farm field adjacent to a highway for landing. There was a thin electrical wire across the middle of the field. I could not see any supporting posts because it was secured on the right by one of the poles along the highway to the right of, and parallel to, my course. The other end was secured to a pole hidden by a group of taller trees on the other side of the field. The wire was a light green and blended with the vegetation until I descended below the level of the line. When I saw the line, I was below it and descending. I pulled the valve line immediately and landed before the line. The top of the balloon made contact with the wire and it broke. The balloon deflated with the top covering the broken wire. A very small grass/fabric fire started. We had a fire extinguisher and fire company available, but it took 30 mins to confirm the power was shut off so we could approach. No one was hurt, but the balloon envelope was damaged. Before this incident, I didn't fully realize how difficult it would be to see a wire such as this. Another small factor was the workload on landing was higher than usual because of a windshear between 250-300 ft AGL. That required extra attention to properly control the descent rate and burner flame.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON CONTACTS PWR LINE DURING LNDG IN AN APPARENT OPEN FIELD.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING A VERY LARGE UNCULTIVATED FARM FIELD ADJACENT TO A HWY FOR LNDG. THERE WAS A THIN ELECTRICAL WIRE ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. I COULD NOT SEE ANY SUPPORTING POSTS BECAUSE IT WAS SECURED ON THE R BY ONE OF THE POLES ALONG THE HWY TO THE R OF, AND PARALLEL TO, MY COURSE. THE OTHER END WAS SECURED TO A POLE HIDDEN BY A GROUP OF TALLER TREES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE WIRE WAS A LIGHT GREEN AND BLENDED WITH THE VEGETATION UNTIL I DSNDED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE LINE. WHEN I SAW THE LINE, I WAS BELOW IT AND DSNDING. I PULLED THE VALVE LINE IMMEDIATELY AND LANDED BEFORE THE LINE. THE TOP OF THE BALLOON MADE CONTACT WITH THE WIRE AND IT BROKE. THE BALLOON DEFLATED WITH THE TOP COVERING THE BROKEN WIRE. A VERY SMALL GRASS/FABRIC FIRE STARTED. WE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND FIRE COMPANY AVAILABLE, BUT IT TOOK 30 MINS TO CONFIRM THE PWR WAS SHUT OFF SO WE COULD APCH. NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WAS DAMAGED. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, I DIDN'T FULLY REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT WOULD BE TO SEE A WIRE SUCH AS THIS. ANOTHER SMALL FACTOR WAS THE WORKLOAD ON LNDG WAS HIGHER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF A WINDSHEAR BTWN 250-300 FT AGL. THAT REQUIRED EXTRA ATTN TO PROPERLY CTL THE DSCNT RATE AND BURNER FLAME.

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.