Narrative:

Power line strike shortly after takeoff. Location of incident was in a vacant lot near the field. Helium filled latex balloons had been released prior to launch; those balloons exited the launch area on a bearing of 223 degrees at approximately 3 mph. I laid out the balloon downwind; and proceeded with the inflation. Upon releasing the tie-off line; the balloon was blown in a more easterly direction. As I climbed out of the field; the basket of the balloon caught the top line of a 2-LINE residential power line that ran along the street. Given the direction the helium balloons had left the field; I believed I was a safe distance from the power line to have a safe launch. After the basket contacted the line; the line snagged on the top portion of the basket wicker. Knowing I was in contact with only 1 line; and still ascending (400-600 FPM); I reached over the side of the basket and pushed the line off the basket (I was wearing leather gloves that I use while flying). The line 'twanged' like a guitar string. The balloon ascended a further 500 ft before leveling off. Since there were no injuries or damage to me (the pilot); passenger; or the balloon equipment; I continued the flight. Later that evening; I spoke with representatives of the local electric company. They told me that the power line was fine. I think false lift and a possible wind gust (directional change) may have contributed to the incident. I had started the launch by allowing the balloon to extend to the end of tether line; and then paused to do a final check before releasing the tether line and launching. At that point; I was neutral to slightly positively buoyant; and probably experiencing some false lift. After releasing the tether line; I began to rise; but once the false lift effect dissipated; I was not climbing at an adequate rate to clear the power line. I feel if I had tried to abort the launch; the resulting events would have been much more severe; I would not have been able to completely deflate the balloon and get the envelope on the ground before it hit the power line. Potentially; in that situation; the envelope would have been draped over both lines; and may have caused a more severe incident. It may well have also disrupted traffic on the highway. As it was; I only hit 1 of the 2 lines; thus not completing a circuit. I was still climbing at the time; so I knew I would not sink down into the lower power line. I determined that the best thing to do was to get the line off the basket and continue my climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAMERON V-90 BALLOON LIFTED OFF AND HIT AN ELECTRICAL WIRE BUT DID NOT DAMAGE THE ACFT OR ANY GND EQUIPMENT.

Narrative: PWR LINE STRIKE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. LOCATION OF INCIDENT WAS IN A VACANT LOT NEAR THE FIELD. HELIUM FILLED LATEX BALLOONS HAD BEEN RELEASED PRIOR TO LAUNCH; THOSE BALLOONS EXITED THE LAUNCH AREA ON A BEARING OF 223 DEGS AT APPROX 3 MPH. I LAID OUT THE BALLOON DOWNWIND; AND PROCEEDED WITH THE INFLATION. UPON RELEASING THE TIE-OFF LINE; THE BALLOON WAS BLOWN IN A MORE EASTERLY DIRECTION. AS I CLBED OUT OF THE FIELD; THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON CAUGHT THE TOP LINE OF A 2-LINE RESIDENTIAL PWR LINE THAT RAN ALONG THE STREET. GIVEN THE DIRECTION THE HELIUM BALLOONS HAD LEFT THE FIELD; I BELIEVED I WAS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE PWR LINE TO HAVE A SAFE LAUNCH. AFTER THE BASKET CONTACTED THE LINE; THE LINE SNAGGED ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BASKET WICKER. KNOWING I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ONLY 1 LINE; AND STILL ASCENDING (400-600 FPM); I REACHED OVER THE SIDE OF THE BASKET AND PUSHED THE LINE OFF THE BASKET (I WAS WEARING LEATHER GLOVES THAT I USE WHILE FLYING). THE LINE 'TWANGED' LIKE A GUITAR STRING. THE BALLOON ASCENDED A FURTHER 500 FT BEFORE LEVELING OFF. SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO ME (THE PLT); PAX; OR THE BALLOON EQUIP; I CONTINUED THE FLT. LATER THAT EVENING; I SPOKE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LCL ELECTRIC COMPANY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PWR LINE WAS FINE. I THINK FALSE LIFT AND A POSSIBLE WIND GUST (DIRECTIONAL CHANGE) MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. I HAD STARTED THE LAUNCH BY ALLOWING THE BALLOON TO EXTEND TO THE END OF TETHER LINE; AND THEN PAUSED TO DO A FINAL CHK BEFORE RELEASING THE TETHER LINE AND LAUNCHING. AT THAT POINT; I WAS NEUTRAL TO SLIGHTLY POSITIVELY BUOYANT; AND PROBABLY EXPERIENCING SOME FALSE LIFT. AFTER RELEASING THE TETHER LINE; I BEGAN TO RISE; BUT ONCE THE FALSE LIFT EFFECT DISSIPATED; I WAS NOT CLBING AT AN ADEQUATE RATE TO CLR THE PWR LINE. I FEEL IF I HAD TRIED TO ABORT THE LAUNCH; THE RESULTING EVENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE; I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETELY DEFLATE THE BALLOON AND GET THE ENVELOPE ON THE GND BEFORE IT HIT THE PWR LINE. POTENTIALLY; IN THAT SITUATION; THE ENVELOPE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRAPED OVER BOTH LINES; AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A MORE SEVERE INCIDENT. IT MAY WELL HAVE ALSO DISRUPTED TFC ON THE HWY. AS IT WAS; I ONLY HIT 1 OF THE 2 LINES; THUS NOT COMPLETING A CIRCUIT. I WAS STILL CLBING AT THE TIME; SO I KNEW I WOULD NOT SINK DOWN INTO THE LOWER PWR LINE. I DETERMINED THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO GET THE LINE OFF THE BASKET AND CONTINUE MY CLB.

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.