What happened
On 8 August 2012, a Cameron Z-350 balloon, registration G-VBFH, was conducting a commercial passenger flight approximately 13 nautical miles east of Lancaster. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot prepared for landing in a valley field, choosing a site with road access due to soft ground conditions caused by recent rain.
As the balloon approached the landing site, the pilot noted the aircraft was travelling slightly faster than anticipated, which decreased the time available to identify obstacles. The pilot observed electricity poles crossing the flight path; however, these poles were partially obscured by trees and were not clearly visible until late in the approach. Because the balloon was at a level or shallow descent, the pilot could not climb to avoid the wires. In response to the imminent danger, the pilot instructed the passengers to take landing positions and manipulated the control line to deflate the envelope for an immediate descent.
During this maneuver, the balloon basket made contact with the power lines. The impact caused two wires to be pushed together, resulting in an electrical arc before the wires broke. The balloon continued to a landing approximately 100 metres further on, where the basket remained upright.
The investigation
The investigation established that the supporting poles for the power lines were difficult to detect because they were hidden by vegetation. Furthermore, the visibility of the wires was significantly reduced because they were a similar colour to the background. The investigation also noted that the electrical infrastructure at the nearby farmhouse was limited, meaning there was no extended line of poles to provide a visual warning of the obstruction.
Findings
- The primary cause of the contact was the late detection of power line poles due to partial obstruction by trees.
- The difficulty in identifying the hazard was compounded by the wires being visually similar to the background.
- The pilot's approach speed was higher than expected, which reduced the time available for obstacle recognition.
- There were no injuries to the 15 passengers or the single crew member, and no damage was sustained by the G-VBFH balloon, though the electrical lines were damaged.