A LNDG BALLOON ATTEMPTS A GAR WHEN THE WIND DRIFTS IT TOWARDS A HOUSE. UNABLE TO CLB FAST ENOUGH; THE BALLOON HITS THE HOUSE.

Date: 1998-10 · Aircraft: Balloon

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

A LNDG BALLOON ATTEMPTS A GAR WHEN THE WIND DRIFTS IT TOWARDS A HOUSE. UNABLE TO CLB FAST ENOUGH; THE BALLOON HITS THE HOUSE.

Narrative

AFTER APPROX 30 MINS OF FLT; I CAME UPON A FIELD; WHICH I CHOSE TO LAND IN. AT THE FAR END OF THE FIELD WAS A TREE LINE THE WIDTH OF THE FIELD; AND ONLY 1 OR 2 TREES DEEP. UPON LNDG THE BALLOON; A GUST OF WIND DRAGGED THE BALLOON THROUGH THE FIELD TOWARDS THE TREE LINE. I CONTINUED TO VENT; BUT THE WIND LIFTED THE BALLOON AND WE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE TREE; PROBABLY 10-15 FT AGL. THERE WAS A HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TREE LINE; AND WE WERE BEING PUSHED BY THE WIND TOWARDS THE HOUSE. I BEGAN TO ADD HEAT TO THE BALLOON IN AN EFFORT TO LIFT OVER THE TOP OF THE HOUSE; BUT THE BASKET ENCOUNTERED THE GUTTER AND THE ROOF; CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE SHINGLES AND BENDING THE GUTTER. WE THEN GAINED SUFFICIENT LIFT TO FLY ON. I CALLED MY CREW VIA RADIO AND INFORMED THEM OF THE INCIDENT; AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO GO TO THE HOMEOWNER AND TELL THEM AFTER LNDG I WOULD RETURN. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN ANOTHER FIELD; I RETURNED AND DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE HOMEOWNER; STATING I WOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS TO THE GUTTER AND SHINGLES; AND THEY WERE FINE WITH THIS. THEY HAD NO PROBS; SO WE EXCHANGED NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS AND I LEFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT DURING THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN UNEXPECTED WIND GUST.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.