Hot air balloon pilot had hard landing and was blown into a power line. Pilot fell out of aircraft and a passenger who is a pilot had to fly the aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	514626
Time
Date	200106
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : anb.fss
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Windshear other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	514626
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2-3
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We started our approach on a big open field heading to the south. The balloon was at about 150 ft AGL. When we noticed the GPS said our speed was 1.5 mph, we started our descent flying over some pine trees, a 2 lane road and the power lines which were about 40 ft above the ground. My approach to the middle of the 300 ft field to do a stand up landing was suddenly altered when a downdraft forced us to the ground very hard, as the balloon hit the ground. I started pulling the vent line into the basket. By pulling this line the top of the balloon opens letting out the hot air. When the basket hit the ground the wind dragged us nnw toward the power lines we had just crossed over. The vent line is hooked directly to the valve. When the balloon rebounded the line pulled taut and pulled me out of the basket. The ground crew and I tried to weigh down the balloon but couldn't stop the backward motion back into the power lines. We let go of the basket and the balloon struck the power line and bounced back off quickly, with no damage to the envelope or basket. The passenger, who is also a pilot, flew the balloon into a safe landing site. There were no injuries to people or property.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HAD HARD LNDG AND WAS BLOWN INTO A PWR LINE. PLT FELL OUT OF ACFT AND A PAX WHO IS A PLT HAD TO FLY THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE STARTED OUR APCH ON A BIG OPEN FIELD HEADING TO THE S. THE BALLOON WAS AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL. WHEN WE NOTICED THE GPS SAID OUR SPD WAS 1.5 MPH, WE STARTED OUR DSCNT FLYING OVER SOME PINE TREES, A 2 LANE ROAD AND THE PWR LINES WHICH WERE ABOUT 40 FT ABOVE THE GND. MY APCH TO THE MIDDLE OF THE 300 FT FIELD TO DO A STAND UP LNDG WAS SUDDENLY ALTERED WHEN A DOWNDRAFT FORCED US TO THE GND VERY HARD, AS THE BALLOON HIT THE GND. I STARTED PULLING THE VENT LINE INTO THE BASKET. BY PULLING THIS LINE THE TOP OF THE BALLOON OPENS LETTING OUT THE HOT AIR. WHEN THE BASKET HIT THE GND THE WIND DRAGGED US NNW TOWARD THE PWR LINES WE HAD JUST CROSSED OVER. THE VENT LINE IS HOOKED DIRECTLY TO THE VALVE. WHEN THE BALLOON REBOUNDED THE LINE PULLED TAUT AND PULLED ME OUT OF THE BASKET. THE GND CREW AND I TRIED TO WEIGH DOWN THE BALLOON BUT COULDN'T STOP THE BACKWARD MOTION BACK INTO THE PWR LINES. WE LET GO OF THE BASKET AND THE BALLOON STRUCK THE PWR LINE AND BOUNCED BACK OFF QUICKLY, WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE OR BASKET. THE PAX, WHO IS ALSO A PLT, FLEW THE BALLOON INTO A SAFE LNDG SITE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PEOPLE OR PROPERTY.

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.