What happened
On the morning of 24 September 2013, a Cameron N-105 hot air balloon, registration G-SSTI, was participating in the Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championship. The flight, which included a pilot and two passengers, departed from the Drumshanbo area with a westward trajectory toward the Arigna River.
As the pilot prepared for a planned landing, they identified a set of electricity cables positioned roughly 30 meters to the left of the approach path. However, during the descent, the basket of the balloon made contact with a different set of 220V AC power lines situated approximately 4 meters above the ground. The impact forced the cables together, resulting in visible sparks and the subsequent breaking of the lines.
Following the contact, the pilot continued the approach for several meters to clear a nearby river. The balloon eventually completed a successful landing in a partially restricted area near a road. While the balloon itself sustained no damage from the initial strike, the envelope caught on a telephone pole during the deflation process. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the contact with the electrical infrastructure. The pilot, an experienced commander with over 14,000 flying hours, provided details regarding the visibility and environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The investigation also reviewed the technical specifications of the G-SSTI and the operational context of the championship flight.