EMER OFF ARPT LNDG MADE BY HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WHEN HIS BURNERS APPEAR TO BE MALFUNCTIONING 6 MI SW OF SPI.

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I MET MY CREW AND PAX AT OUR LAUNCH SITE IN SPRINGFIELD. THE SIZE IS A CITY PARK ON THE W SIDE OF SPRINGFIELD APPROX 6.5 MI SSW OF SPRINGFIELD ARPT. I DID A PREFLT BRIEFING WITH MY PAX. I THEN DID A PREFLT CHK OF MY BALLOON BURNER SYS. AFTER COMPLETELY FILLING BALLOON; I BEGAN TO HEAT THE AIR AFTER BALLOON ROSE UP. WE LIFTED OFF AND GRADUALLY FLEW TO AN ALT OF APPROX 1000 FT AGL. AFTER APPROX 20 MINS OF FLT; I SWITCHED MY FUEL FROM TANK #4 TO TANK #3. AFTER THE SWITCH; I BURNED MY BURNER AND IT SOUNDED FUNNY WITH LOW OUTPUT. I TRIED 3 MORE TIMES AND THEN SWITCHED TO MY NEXT TANK. I TRIED TO BURN IT TOO; BUT IT TOO FAILED TO GIVE ENOUGH OUTPUT TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. I WAS AT THIS TIME LOSING A LOT OF ALT. I TRIED TO SWITCH TO MY #2 TANK WHICH THEN GAVE A GOOD OUTPUT. I THEN LOOKED AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE APCHING PWR LINES. I DECIDED TO TERMINATE FLT AND RIPPED OUT MY RED LINE DEFLATING THE TOP OF THE BALLOON AND RELEASING ALL THE HOT AIR THAT WAS HOLDING US UP. WE DROPPED THE BALLOON AND GONDOLA ON THE GRASSY AREA OF AN INTERSTATE ON RAMP. THE BALLOON GOT HUNG UP ON A LIGHT POLE WHICH REQUIRED FIRE DEPT HELP TO DISLODGE. NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE DSCNT AND THE BALLOON ONLY SUSTAINED 2 RIPPED PANELS. MY OWN BELIEF IS THAT A PIECE OF DEBRIS (FOREIGN MATTER) GOT INTO FUEL LINES; PREVENTING IT TO FLOW TO THE BURNERS.