PLT OF BALLOON HEAD AX8-88 IN ATTEMPTING TO LAND FAILS TO LEVEL WHEN ANTICIPATED AND THE BASKET HITS A PWR LINE AND TOPPLES PWR POLE. SUCCESSFUL LNDG ACHIEVED.

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DURING A SOLO FLT; SURFACE WIND CONDITIONS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY. INITIAL WINDS OF 160 DEGS AT 5 KTS REMAINED CONSISTENT AT 800 FT AGL WHILE SURFACE WINDS CHANGED TO APPROX 050 DEGS AT 12 KTS. THE PLT DECIDED TO LAND IN A PASTURE ACROSS A GRAVEL ROAD FROM A PATCH OF TREES AND PARTIAL FIELD THAT HAD A PWR LINE RUNNING ALONG ITS FAR SIDE. WHILE IN A GRADUAL DSCNT; 150-200 FPM; FROM 150 FT AGL; THE PLT REALIZED THE BALLOON WAS NOT ACHIEVING LEVEL FLT WHEN ANTICIPATED; 20 FT ABOVE TREETOPS. DURING THE DSCNT SHORT BLASTS ON THE BURNER WERE BEING ACTIVATED UNTIL IT WAS OBVIOUS SUFFICIENT ALT MAY NOT BE OBTAINED TO CLR A SMALL 2 WIRE PWR LINE AHEAD. AT THE POINT OF THIS REALIZATION; 100 YARDS FROM THE PWR LINE; LONG BURNS WERE ACTIVATED ON 1 BLAST VALVE. AT 100 FT FROM THE PWR LINE IT WAS STILL UNCERTAIN WHETHER SUFFICIENT PWR LINE CLRNC WOULD BE OBTAINED AND A LONG BURN WAS ACTIVATED ON BOTH BLAST VALVES. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TOP SINGLE STRAND PWR LINE APPROX 6 INCHES TO 1 FT UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET. AS A RESULT; THE PWR POLE TOPPLED AND PWR LINE SNAPPED. THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO FLY ON WITH MINIMAL EFFECT AND LAND IN THE TARGETED PASTURE. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT; PLT OR OTHER PROPERTY RESULTED. OBSERVATIONS: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT FOR THE PLT SINCE SEP/96; 5 MONTHS PRIOR. THE PLT DID NOT HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN FLYING DURING WINDY CONDITIONS. A POOR DECISION WAS MADE TO SELECT A FIELD THAT REQUIRED FLYING OVER PWR LINES AT LOWER LEVELS JUST PRIOR TO LNDG. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL TOPOGRAPHICAL WIND DRAINAGE IN THE AREA THAT THE PLT DID NOT REALIZE. TOO LONG OF A DELAY OCCURRED BTWN THE TIME THE PLT REALIZED SUFFICIENT ALT MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED TO CLR THE PWR LINE AND THE MAX DOUBLE BURN ACTIVATED ON THE BURNER. AFTER NOT HAVING FLOWN IN MONTHS; THE PLT SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE LARGEST PASTURE IN THE COUNTY TO CARRY OUT A RIPOUT LNDG IN. ANOTHER PLT HAD SUCCESSFULLY LANDED IN THE SAME TARGETED PASTURE; ALTHOUGH ON THE WIDER END OF THE FIELD; AND THIS MAY HAVE FIXATED THE PLT'S DETERMINATION TO MAKE THE LNDG THERE.