AEROSTAR AURORA 54K BALLOON PLT UPON LNDG ENCOUNTERS PWR LINES.
Synopsis
AEROSTAR AURORA 54K BALLOON PLT UPON LNDG ENCOUNTERS PWR LINES.
Narrative
THIS WAS A MORNING FLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH CONDITIONS RPTED BY LCL AWOS AS WINDS AT 010 DEGS AT 4 KTS. LAUNCH WAS SHORTLY AFTER XA30. UPON LAUNCH; WINDS HAD SHIFTED TO APPROX 045 DEG AT 4 KTS. APPROX 50 MINS LATER; WAS MAKING AN APCH FOR LNDG AT A FARMSTEAD LOCATED ON THE S SIDE OF AN E/W ROAD. DSNDED TO AN ALT OF APPROX 100 FT AGL TO CHK FOR ANY WIND SHIFT NEAR THE PROPOSED LNDG SITE. I ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE TIME TO BURN AND CLB ABOVE THE PWR LINES THAT WERE ON THE S SIDE OF THE ROAD MENTIONED ABOVE. HOWEVER; ONCE REACHING AN ALT OF 100 FT AGL THE WINDS SHIFTED TO A MORE SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AND THE WIND SPD HAD PICKED UP CONSIDERABLY. AT THAT TIME I STARTED TO BURN IN ORDER TO CLB AND DETERMINED THAT THE BALLOON HAD COOLED MORE THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED AND I WAS THEN AT AN ALT OF APPROX 50 FT AGL. I REALIZED THAT WITH THE WIND SHIFT; AND INCREASED WIND SPD THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLB TO A SUFFICIENT ALT TO CLR THE PWR LINES. AT THAT POINT I PULLED THE DEFLATION LINE TO PULL OUT THE TOP AND IMMEDIATELY LAND IN THE FIELD N OF THE ROAD. THE BALLOON TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD BUT WAS THEN DRUG DUE TO THE WIND TO THE N EDGE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. BUT THE WIND CARRIED THE TOP OF THE BALLOON INTO THE PWR LINES. THE TOP PORTION OF THE BALLOON WAS DRAPED ACROSS THE PWR LINES AND BECAME SNAGGED UPON THE ELECTRICAL SYS. THERE WAS NO ARCING OF THE PWR LINES OR ANY DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYS. THE BALLOON DID HAVE SOME TEARS IN THE FABRIC WHICH IS REPAIRABLE. THE LCL PWR SYS SENT A TRUCK OUT AND THEY REMOVED THE BALLOON FROM THE LINES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. MY FAILURE TO REALIZE THAT THE WINDS HAD INCREASED AND THE COOLING OF THE BALLOON WHICH DSNDED TO A LOWER ALT THAN INTENDED WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.