Aerostar aurora 54K balloon pilot upon landing encounters power lines.

Attributes
ACN	699831
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 50
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
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 87 flight time type : 87
ASRS Report	699831
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This was a morning flight in a hot air balloon. WX conditions were VFR with conditions reported by local AWOS as winds at 010 degrees at 4 KTS. Launch was shortly after XA30. Upon launch; winds had shifted to approximately 045 degree at 4 KTS. Approximately 50 mins later; was making an approach for landing at a farmstead located on the south side of an east/west road. Descended to an altitude of approximately 100 ft AGL to check for any wind shift near the proposed landing site. I estimated that there was adequate time to burn and climb above the power lines that were on the south side of the road mentioned above. However; once reaching an altitude of 100 ft AGL the winds shifted to a more southerly direction and the wind speed had picked up considerably. At that time I started to burn in order to climb and determined that the balloon had cooled more than I had anticipated and I was then at an altitude of approximately 50 ft AGL. I realized that with the wind shift; and increased wind speed that I was not going to be able to climb to a sufficient altitude to clear the power lines. At that point I pulled the deflation line to pull out the top and immediately land in the field north of the road. The balloon touched down in the field but was then drug due to the wind to the north edge of the road and stopped. But the wind carried the top of the balloon into the power lines. The top portion of the balloon was draped across the power lines and became snagged upon the electrical system. There was no arcing of the power lines or any damage to the electrical system. The balloon did have some tears in the fabric which is repairable. The local power system sent a truck out and they removed the balloon from the lines. There were no injuries. My failure to realize that the winds had increased and the cooling of the balloon which descended to a lower altitude than intended was a contributing factor in this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AEROSTAR AURORA 54K BALLOON PLT UPON LNDG ENCOUNTERS PWR LINES.

Narrative: THIS WAS A MORNING FLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH CONDITIONS RPTED BY LCL AWOS AS WINDS AT 010 DEGS AT 4 KTS. LAUNCH WAS SHORTLY AFTER XA30. UPON LAUNCH; WINDS HAD SHIFTED TO APPROX 045 DEG AT 4 KTS. APPROX 50 MINS LATER; WAS MAKING AN APCH FOR LNDG AT A FARMSTEAD LOCATED ON THE S SIDE OF AN E/W ROAD. DSNDED TO AN ALT OF APPROX 100 FT AGL TO CHK FOR ANY WIND SHIFT NEAR THE PROPOSED LNDG SITE. I ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE TIME TO BURN AND CLB ABOVE THE PWR LINES THAT WERE ON THE S SIDE OF THE ROAD MENTIONED ABOVE. HOWEVER; ONCE REACHING AN ALT OF 100 FT AGL THE WINDS SHIFTED TO A MORE SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AND THE WIND SPD HAD PICKED UP CONSIDERABLY. AT THAT TIME I STARTED TO BURN IN ORDER TO CLB AND DETERMINED THAT THE BALLOON HAD COOLED MORE THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED AND I WAS THEN AT AN ALT OF APPROX 50 FT AGL. I REALIZED THAT WITH THE WIND SHIFT; AND INCREASED WIND SPD THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLB TO A SUFFICIENT ALT TO CLR THE PWR LINES. AT THAT POINT I PULLED THE DEFLATION LINE TO PULL OUT THE TOP AND IMMEDIATELY LAND IN THE FIELD N OF THE ROAD. THE BALLOON TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD BUT WAS THEN DRUG DUE TO THE WIND TO THE N EDGE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. BUT THE WIND CARRIED THE TOP OF THE BALLOON INTO THE PWR LINES. THE TOP PORTION OF THE BALLOON WAS DRAPED ACROSS THE PWR LINES AND BECAME SNAGGED UPON THE ELECTRICAL SYS. THERE WAS NO ARCING OF THE PWR LINES OR ANY DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYS. THE BALLOON DID HAVE SOME TEARS IN THE FABRIC WHICH IS REPAIRABLE. THE LCL PWR SYS SENT A TRUCK OUT AND THEY REMOVED THE BALLOON FROM THE LINES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. MY FAILURE TO REALIZE THAT THE WINDS HAD INCREASED AND THE COOLING OF THE BALLOON WHICH DSNDED TO A LOWER ALT THAN INTENDED WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.

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.