Narrative:

I began a flight for pleasure in my lighter than air aircraft; a hot air balloon. At XA30 I had 1 passenger in the basket. The conditions were VFR and I had heard the latest WX briefing at the balloon headquarters. We were part of the special event that had an FAA waiver attached for operation. The winds were light; less than 6 mph throughout the flight as measured by a GPS. We flew at a maximum of 2000 ft AGL and flew at a minimum of 500 ft AGL throughout the flight. I noticed a problem with one of my pilot lights not being high enough and adjusted the flow rate to extend the flame. I flew on but began to look for a landing site. I approached a school from the south; just east of the school building. I began a gradual descent and pulled the burner blast valve and instead of firing; a cloud of raw propane was released into the envelope. Once I realized what had occurred; I fired the other burner to stop my descent. I was able to stabilize the craft and stop the descent. I was too late and we approached a power line that consisted of 3 wires. I passed over the first; pushed the second down and pulled the third so that when it came off the bottom of the basket; it flew back and an arc occurred which damaged a transformer. The strike occurred at XB40. I landed immediately and made sure my passenger was uninjured. She had followed my preflight briefing and there was no injury to her. There was no damage to the aircraft. We checked with the school; talked with the principal. She let my wife call the power company and information was left for them to contact me. The balloon meister was informed of the incident and came to verify that all was well. I also contacted the safety officer and informed him of the incident. I also contacted FSDO and we discussed the incident. I transported the aircraft and offered FSDO an opportunity to inspect it for damage. The burner was later tested by me and I could not get pilot light to ignite nor maintain a flame. And has been taken to repair station so we will know what caused the pilot light failure. I will send FSDO a copy of shop's paperwork once I receive the burner back. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the pilot light assembly was disassembled and found contaminated with rust particles and contamination. Unit was cleaned and tested and returned to service. The pilot reports having 15 yrs of balloon experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BALLOON ON DSCNT ATTEMPTING TO STOP OR CORRECT THE DSCNT PULLED THE BURNER BLAST VALVE. BURNER FAILED TO LIGHT AND BALLOON STRUCK A 3 WIRE PWR LINE. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE INCURRED.

Narrative: I BEGAN A FLT FOR PLEASURE IN MY LIGHTER THAN AIR ACFT; A HOT AIR BALLOON. AT XA30 I HAD 1 PAX IN THE BASKET. THE CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND I HAD HEARD THE LATEST WX BRIEFING AT THE BALLOON HEADQUARTERS. WE WERE PART OF THE SPECIAL EVENT THAT HAD AN FAA WAIVER ATTACHED FOR OP. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT; LESS THAN 6 MPH THROUGHOUT THE FLT AS MEASURED BY A GPS. WE FLEW AT A MAX OF 2000 FT AGL AND FLEW AT A MINIMUM OF 500 FT AGL THROUGHOUT THE FLT. I NOTICED A PROB WITH ONE OF MY PLT LIGHTS NOT BEING HIGH ENOUGH AND ADJUSTED THE FLOW RATE TO EXTEND THE FLAME. I FLEW ON BUT BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A LNDG SITE. I APCHED A SCHOOL FROM THE S; JUST E OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING. I BEGAN A GRADUAL DSCNT AND PULLED THE BURNER BLAST VALVE AND INSTEAD OF FIRING; A CLOUD OF RAW PROPANE WAS RELEASED INTO THE ENVELOPE. ONCE I REALIZED WHAT HAD OCCURRED; I FIRED THE OTHER BURNER TO STOP MY DSCNT. I WAS ABLE TO STABILIZE THE CRAFT AND STOP THE DSCNT. I WAS TOO LATE AND WE APCHED A PWR LINE THAT CONSISTED OF 3 WIRES. I PASSED OVER THE FIRST; PUSHED THE SECOND DOWN AND PULLED THE THIRD SO THAT WHEN IT CAME OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET; IT FLEW BACK AND AN ARC OCCURRED WHICH DAMAGED A TRANSFORMER. THE STRIKE OCCURRED AT XB40. I LANDED IMMEDIATELY AND MADE SURE MY PAX WAS UNINJURED. SHE HAD FOLLOWED MY PREFLT BRIEFING AND THERE WAS NO INJURY TO HER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. WE CHKED WITH THE SCHOOL; TALKED WITH THE PRINCIPAL. SHE LET MY WIFE CALL THE PWR COMPANY AND INFO WAS LEFT FOR THEM TO CONTACT ME. THE BALLOON MEISTER WAS INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT AND CAME TO VERIFY THAT ALL WAS WELL. I ALSO CONTACTED THE SAFETY OFFICER AND INFORMED HIM OF THE INCIDENT. I ALSO CONTACTED FSDO AND WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT. I TRANSPORTED THE ACFT AND OFFERED FSDO AN OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT IT FOR DAMAGE. THE BURNER WAS LATER TESTED BY ME AND I COULD NOT GET PLT LIGHT TO IGNITE NOR MAINTAIN A FLAME. AND HAS BEEN TAKEN TO REPAIR STATION SO WE WILL KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PILOT LIGHT FAILURE. I WILL SEND FSDO A COPY OF SHOP'S PAPERWORK ONCE I RECEIVE THE BURNER BACK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND CONTAMINATED WITH RUST PARTICLES AND CONTAMINATION. UNIT WAS CLEANED AND TESTED AND RETURNED TO SVC. THE PLT RPTS HAVING 15 YRS OF BALLOON EXPERIENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.