Hot air balloon pilot hit a parked and tied down aircraft while attempting takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	533122
Time
Date	200112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 850 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	533122
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

My hot air balloon was being prepared for takeoff at a local small airport. The system was inflated and loaded, and tied off. I checked for liftoff buoyancy, disengaged the tie-off and began the ascent. Almost immediately the balloon leveled out and moved horizontally about 45 degrees from the original path and quickly reached another aircraft (fixed wing bonanza) which was parked and tied down. My basket struck the parked bonanza. This event was avoidable. There should have been a much greater space allowed for takeoff. The rate of climb should have been increased (higher envelope for load). My judgement of these factors was simply incorrect/miscalculated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT A PARKED AND TIED DOWN ACFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TKOF.

Narrative: MY HOT AIR BALLOON WAS BEING PREPARED FOR TKOF AT A LCL SMALL ARPT. THE SYS WAS INFLATED AND LOADED, AND TIED OFF. I CHKED FOR LIFTOFF BUOYANCY, DISENGAGED THE TIE-OFF AND BEGAN THE ASCENT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE BALLOON LEVELED OUT AND MOVED HORIZLY ABOUT 45 DEGS FROM THE ORIGINAL PATH AND QUICKLY REACHED ANOTHER ACFT (FIXED WING BONANZA) WHICH WAS PARKED AND TIED DOWN. MY BASKET STRUCK THE PARKED BONANZA. THIS EVENT WAS AVOIDABLE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH GREATER SPACE ALLOWED FOR TKOF. THE RATE OF CLB SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCREASED (HIGHER ENVELOPE FOR LOAD). MY JUDGEMENT OF THESE FACTORS WAS SIMPLY INCORRECT/MISCALCULATED.

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.