<< >> NASA ASRS Report 119430, August 1989

Attempting to land a hot air balloon, kevlar suspension cables contacted power lines. One broke, fell on another and started a grass fire.

Attributes
ACN	119430
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o60
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 98 flight time total : 1350 flight time type : 98
ASRS Report	119430
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The balloon was descending to land. All aboard were on lookout for power lines. Aircraft approached landing site, staying well clear of a power line on the south of the field. 2 member ground crew was in position underneath balloon and grabbed handling line when it was thrown overboard. A second set of power lines running through the middle of the field was not observed, probably because of the distance between the poles and the fact that the line blended in with the background of dry grass. Balloon contacted power lines with the kevlar suspension cables breaking a wire which fell on another, causing a spark which ignited a grass fire. For safety reasons I quickly ascended and landed in another field 1/2 mi to the north. There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries were sustained. A report was taken by the sonoma county sheriff's department.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATTEMPTING TO LAND A HOT AIR BALLOON, KEVLAR SUSPENSION CABLES CONTACTED POWER LINES. ONE BROKE, FELL ON ANOTHER AND STARTED A GRASS FIRE.

Narrative: THE BALLOON WAS DSNDING TO LAND. ALL ABOARD WERE ON LOOKOUT FOR PWR LINES. ACFT APCHED LNDG SITE, STAYING WELL CLR OF A PWR LINE ON THE S OF THE FIELD. 2 MEMBER GND CREW WAS IN POS UNDERNEATH BALLOON AND GRABBED HANDLING LINE WHEN IT WAS THROWN OVERBOARD. A SECOND SET OF PWR LINES RUNNING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD WAS NOT OBSERVED, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE BTWN THE POLES AND THE FACT THAT THE LINE BLENDED IN WITH THE BACKGROUND OF DRY GRASS. BALLOON CONTACTED PWR LINES WITH THE KEVLAR SUSPENSION CABLES BREAKING A WIRE WHICH FELL ON ANOTHER, CAUSING A SPARK WHICH IGNITED A GRASS FIRE. FOR SAFETY REASONS I QUICKLY ASCENDED AND LANDED IN ANOTHER FIELD 1/2 MI TO THE N. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. A RPT WAS TAKEN BY THE SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.