What happened
On 28 March 2004, a Cameron A-2int Balloon, registration G-FLYE, was conducting a scheduled passenger flight over the Cheshire area. The flight, which departed from Plassey near Wrexham, proceeded normally under favorable weather conditions until the pilot attempted to land near Brindley, near Nantwich.
After initially rejecting a field containing crops, the pilot identified a large rectangular grass field for the landing. While the intended touchdown point appeared clear of obstacles, the basket began to drag across the field at a ground speed of approximately 7 to 9 knots following the touchdown. As the pilot initiated the 'ripping out' procedure to deflate the envelope, the balloon's fabric drifted over a set of three electricity cables that spanned the field.
As the envelope collapsed over the wires, a flash and audible bangs were reported. The pilot immediately confirmed that the burner's pilot light was extinguished and that the gas tanks had been disconnected and switched off. There were no injuries to the one crew member or the eight passengers on board. The only damage sustained was minor burn damage to the balloon's envelope.
The investigation
The investigation established that a support pole for the electricity cables was obscured by trees on the right side of the landing area. This lack of visibility led the pilot to believe the wires only ran parallel to the road at the edge of the field, rather than across the landing path.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the performance of the parachute vent system used for deflation. It was determined that the system did not deflate the envelope rapidly enough to prevent the fabric from making contact with the wires.