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Emergency off airport landing made by hot air balloon pilot when his burners appear to be malfunctioning 6 mi southwest of spi.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 633588 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : spi.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 6000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 14.75 flight time total : 441 flight time type : 286 |
| ASRS Report | 633588 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : overrode automation none taken : insufficient time none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I met my crew and passenger at our launch site in springfield. The size is a city park on the west side of springfield approximately 6.5 mi ssw of springfield airport. I did a preflight briefing with my passenger. I then did a preflight check of my balloon burner system. After completely filling balloon, I began to heat the air after balloon rose up. We lifted off and gradually flew to an altitude of approximately 1000 ft AGL. After approximately 20 mins of flight, I switched my fuel from tank #4 to tank #3. After the switch, I burned my burner and it sounded funny with low output. I tried 3 more times and then switched to my next tank. I tried to burn it too, but it too failed to give enough output to maintain level flight. I was at this time losing a lot of altitude. I tried to switch to my #2 tank which then gave a good output. I then looked and noticed that we were approaching power lines. I decided to terminate flight and ripped out my red line deflating the top of the balloon and releasing all the hot air that was holding us up. We dropped the balloon and gondola on the grassy area of an interstate on ramp. The balloon got hung up on a light pole which required fire department help to dislodge. No one was hurt in the descent and the balloon only sustained 2 ripped panels. My own belief is that a piece of debris (foreign matter) got into fuel lines, preventing it to flow to the burners.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG MADE BY HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WHEN HIS BURNERS APPEAR TO BE MALFUNCTIONING 6 MI SW OF SPI.
Narrative: I MET MY CREW AND PAX AT OUR LAUNCH SITE IN SPRINGFIELD. THE SIZE IS A CITY PARK ON THE W SIDE OF SPRINGFIELD APPROX 6.5 MI SSW OF SPRINGFIELD ARPT. I DID A PREFLT BRIEFING WITH MY PAX. I THEN DID A PREFLT CHK OF MY BALLOON BURNER SYS. AFTER COMPLETELY FILLING BALLOON, I BEGAN TO HEAT THE AIR AFTER BALLOON ROSE UP. WE LIFTED OFF AND GRADUALLY FLEW TO AN ALT OF APPROX 1000 FT AGL. AFTER APPROX 20 MINS OF FLT, I SWITCHED MY FUEL FROM TANK #4 TO TANK #3. AFTER THE SWITCH, I BURNED MY BURNER AND IT SOUNDED FUNNY WITH LOW OUTPUT. I TRIED 3 MORE TIMES AND THEN SWITCHED TO MY NEXT TANK. I TRIED TO BURN IT TOO, BUT IT TOO FAILED TO GIVE ENOUGH OUTPUT TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. I WAS AT THIS TIME LOSING A LOT OF ALT. I TRIED TO SWITCH TO MY #2 TANK WHICH THEN GAVE A GOOD OUTPUT. I THEN LOOKED AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE APCHING PWR LINES. I DECIDED TO TERMINATE FLT AND RIPPED OUT MY RED LINE DEFLATING THE TOP OF THE BALLOON AND RELEASING ALL THE HOT AIR THAT WAS HOLDING US UP. WE DROPPED THE BALLOON AND GONDOLA ON THE GRASSY AREA OF AN INTERSTATE ON RAMP. THE BALLOON GOT HUNG UP ON A LIGHT POLE WHICH REQUIRED FIRE DEPT HELP TO DISLODGE. NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE DSCNT AND THE BALLOON ONLY SUSTAINED 2 RIPPED PANELS. MY OWN BELIEF IS THAT A PIECE OF DEBRIS (FOREIGN MATTER) GOT INTO FUEL LINES, PREVENTING IT TO FLOW TO THE BURNERS.
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.