A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT A PWR LINE ON A LNDG APCH.

Narrative

BALLOON DEPARTED FOR PLEASURE FLT. PLT AND 1 PAX ON BOARD. UPON APCH TO A HAY FIELD; I STRUCK A PWR LINE WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APCH. THE GONDOLA CONTACTED THE TOP WIRE OF A 2-WIRE SYS; WITH THE WIRE MAKING INITIAL CONTACT APPROX 2.5 FT FROM BOTTOM OF GONDOLA. THE PWR LINE WIRE DID NOT BREAK. THE GONDOLA SLID ACROSS THE WIRE; BROKE FREE; AND THE BALLOON CONTINUED FREE FLT. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT LNDG; THE NOMEX FABRIC 'SCOOP' OF THE BALLOON WAS BURNED; BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON ENVELOPE OR GONDOLA OCCURRED. NEITHER THE PLT NOR THE PAX RECEIVED ANY INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO ANY PROPERTY ON THE GND. PWR LINE WAS OBSERVED PRIOR TO CONTACT AND PLT HAD INITIATED ACTION TO AVOID CONTACT. WIRE WAS GREEN; EITHER DUE TO PAINT OR CORROSION; AND BLENDED INTO BACKGND VEGETATION; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. PLT WAS ALSO CONCENTRATING ON LNDG POINT AND WAS NOT LOOKING AROUND ENTIRE AREA; WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO NOTE POLES AND OTHER SIGNS OF PWR LINES; REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WIRES WERE VISIBLE OR NOT. WIND; THOUGH NOT A DIRECT FACTOR; MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART. BALLOON HAD FLOWN 10 MI IN 50 MINS; INCLUDING 2 LNDGS TO CHANGE PAX. ESTIMATED WIND AT 500 FT WAS 15-20 MPH WITH 5-10 MPH AT SURFACE. FOR MOST BALLOON LNDGS; SURFACE WIND AS CALM AS POSSIBLE; OR CERTAINLY LESS THAN 5-7 MPH; IS DESIRABLE. DAMAGE TO BALLOON SCOOP (NON LOAD BEARING ACCESSORY) OCCURRED WHEN PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER BREAKING FREE OF WIRE. PLT PREMATURELY PULLED TOP OUT CAUSING RAPID DSCNT; A BOUNCED LNDG; AND FLEXING OF THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WHICH PLACED SCOOP IN LINE OF BURNER FLAME LONG ENOUGH TO BURN A HOLE 10 INCHES WIDE BY 60 INCHES LONG. ACTUALLY; DAMAGE TO SCOOP WAS DUE TO IMPROPER LNDG TECHNIQUE; NOT PWR LINE STRIKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CAMERON V-77 BALLOON. THE PWR LINES THAT HE HIT WERE ONLY 2; ONE ABOVE THE OTHER; ABOUT 3 FT APART. HE HIT ONLY THE TOP ONE AND SLID OFF. HIS GND CREW WAS QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS PAX; AS THE PAX WAS DOWN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET AND COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE GND. THE GND CREW THOUGHT THAT THE PAX HAD FALLEN OUT. THE RPTR ADMITS TO BEING RATHER EXCITED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND CONSEQUENTLY BURNED THE SCOOP SKIRT BECAUSE HE DID NOT REALIGN THE BURNER AFTER THE PWR LINE HIT. HE NOW UNDERSTANDS THAT PWR LINE STRIKES CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.