What happened
On July 19, 2023, a Cameron Z180 hot air balloon, registration F-HIII, was conducting a commercial passenger flight near Longué-Jumelles when it struck power lines during its landing approach. The flight, operated by Montgolfières d’Anjou, included the pilot and seven passengers.
As the pilot descended toward a chosen landing field, he identified two sets of power lines—a medium voltage (MV) line and a low voltage (LV) line—positioned perpendicular to the flight path. While attempting to clear the lines, the pilot noticed a second set of MV cables located behind the LV line at a higher altitude. In an attempt to avoid the obstacle, the pilot immediately engaged the burners. However, due to the aircraft's inertia, the balloon failed to gain sufficient altitude, causing the lower part of the basket to strike the MV cables at approximately 8 meters. The impact severed three cables and caused an electric arc within the passenger compartment.
The pilot maintained control and landed the balloon in the field roughly 100 meters past the lines. While the passengers evacuated the basket without injury, a fire broke out in the lower right corner of the basket during the deflation process. The pilot used an on-board extinguisher, and the arriving support crew used a second extinguisher to suppress the flames.
The investigation
The BEA investigation utilized GNSS data from the pilot's application and witness statements to reconstruct the flight path. The investigators examined the aircraft, which sustained damage including a hole and soot marks in the basket, and reviewed meteorological data from Météo-France. The investigation also noted that the specific MV and LV power lines involved were not documented on ICAO or IGN aeronautical maps, which typically only display very high voltage lines.
Findings
- The primary cause of the contact was the inability of the balloon to gain sufficient altitude following the burner input due to its existing descent inertia.
- A significant contributing factor was the difficulty for pilots to visually identify all obstacles, such as MV and LV lines, during a shallow approach at low altitudes, especially when these lines are not present on aeronautical charts and may blend into the surrounding environment or vegetation.