A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT 2 TRUCKS ON LNDG.

Narrative

THE SIT DEVELOPED ON AN APCH TO THE MAIN BALLOON FIELD AT A BALLOON RALLY. NAV TO THE FIELD FROM THE DIRECTION I WAS APCHING REQUIRED A HIGH APCH (1500 FT AGL) AND THEN A STEEP DSCNT. ALL MANEUVERS CONDUCTED WERE TYPICAL OF WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED IN THAT SIT. AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL; THE BURNER WAS ENGAGED TO SLOW MY DSCNT INTO THE FIELD. THE BALLOON'S RESPONSE WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND THE 2ND BURNER WAS THEN ENGAGED TO HELP ARREST THE DSCNT. STILL; THE BALLOON WAS SLOW TO RESPOND. THE BURNERS REMAINED ENGAGED UNTIL I WAS APPROX 15 FT AGL. THE BURNERS WERE DISENGAGED WHEN CONTACT WITH OBSTACLES WAS INEVITABLE. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE UPRIGHTS OF A BALLOON BASKET WHICH WAS RESTING IN THE BED OF A PICKUP TRUCK. THIS CONTACT KNOCKED THE BASKET OVER AND IT FELL OUT OF THE TRUCK. MY BASKET THEN SWUNG OUT AND CREASED THE R FRONT FENDER OF AN ADJACENT VEHICLE. MY ACFT DID NOT SUFFER ANY DAMAGE AND THE DAMAGE TO THE OTHER BASKET AND VEHICLE APPEARED SLIGHT. AN INSURANCE CLAIM HAS BEEN FILED. THERE ARE 2 CONCLUSIONS WHICH I HAVE DETERMINED TO HAVE GREATLY INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME OF THIS SIT. THE 1ST REFLECTS ON AN ERROR IN MY JUDGEMENT AS I MADE MY APCH. IT WAS A VERY HOT AND HUMID MORNING. EVEN AT THIS EARLY HR; THE TEMP WAS APPROX 85 DEGS F. THIS CONDITION GREATLY REDUCED THE ACFT'S RESPONSIVENESS AND RESULTED IN MY LOWER-THAN- EXPECTED APCH. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE BETTER AWARE OF THE ACFT'S REDUCED CAPABILITIES IN THOSE CONDITIONS. THE FIELD I APCHED WAS DECLARED TO BE A SECURE AREA. THERE WERE NO POWER LINES AND SPECTATORS WERE PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING. THIS SIT ALLOWED FOR MY PLAN OF A LOW APCH TO THE TARGET AREA. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL IF THIS AREA HAD ALSO BEEN RESTR FROM PARKING (IT WAS RESERVED AS VIP/SPONSOR/BALLOONIST PARKING). WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF THESE VEHICLES; THE SIT WOULD HAVE ENDED WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CAMERON V-77 BALLOON. HIS LNDG BEFORE REACHING THE TARGET COST HIM DEARLY IN COMPETITION POINTS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE RPTR'S BALLOON AND ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BASKET IN THE PICKUP TRUCK AND 'JUST A CREASE' IN THE FENDER OF THE OTHER TRUCK. THE FAA DID NOT CONTACT THE RPTR AT ALL OVER THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HIS ENVELOPE WAS QUITE POROUS AND SEVERAL TOP PANELS HAVE SINCE BEEN REPLACED.