Narrative:

I was on final approach to make a landing at provo, ut. In preparation for landing, I asked my crew to hand me the deflation line. They handed me the end of the line, which is normally tied to the balloon structure. The line was a required flight control, for the given circumstances, so I needed to take the time and attention to secure it to the balloon. During the distraction, the balloon had cooled off to the point of descending. I immediately started to burn to stop the descent and noticed power liens ahead of us, and below the tree tops. I wasn't sure I could stop the descent prior to reaching the power lines, so I elected to land prior to them. I vented as much as I could, and the balloon landed alongside the power lines, and a barbed wire fence. After the basket touched down, and I was sure we were not in immediate danger of electrical shock, so I instructed the passenger to evacuate/evacuation the balloon, and run well clear of the complete balloon, and I did the same. After I new my passenger and I were safe, I started to think about landing site safety. The fire department arrived in about 2 mins, and I asked the person in charge to call the power company to determine that the electrical power was off. After determining that the power was off, I went back to the balloon and shut down the burner and fuel system. After evacing the aircraft, and prior to shutting the pilot light off, the balloon deflated and laid on the burner, causing burn damage to the skirt, 1 suspension cable and numerous panels of the envelope. 2 panels at the mouth of the envelope appeared to be torn by the barbed wire fence at the landing site. There were no injuries or property damage. During the descent, I heard the sound of electrical arcing, but did not see a flash. I was partially in the basket, pulling as hard as I could on the vent line, trying to land prior to the power lines. The balloon was inspected by FAA, 4 balloon repair persons, and the balloon meet safety officer, and none of us could find any indication of the envelope contacting and shorting out the power lines. Power was off in the area. Inspecting the landing site, we noted that the power lines were overgrown with numerous limbs that were extending through the lines. 1 area of those limbs looked like they could have been bent over by the balloon envelope and caused them to short out the power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOONIST MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG IN ATTEMPT TO AVOID POWER LINES.

Narrative: I WAS ON FINAL APCH TO MAKE A LNDG AT PROVO, UT. IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG, I ASKED MY CREW TO HAND ME THE DEFLATION LINE. THEY HANDED ME THE END OF THE LINE, WHICH IS NORMALLY TIED TO THE BALLOON STRUCTURE. THE LINE WAS A REQUIRED FLT CTL, FOR THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES, SO I NEEDED TO TAKE THE TIME AND ATTN TO SECURE IT TO THE BALLOON. DURING THE DISTR, THE BALLOON HAD COOLED OFF TO THE POINT OF DSNDING. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO BURN TO STOP THE DSNT AND NOTICED PWR LIENS AHEAD OF US, AND BELOW THE TREE TOPS. I WASN'T SURE I COULD STOP THE DSNT PRIOR TO REACHING THE PWR LINES, SO I ELECTED TO LAND PRIOR TO THEM. I VENTED AS MUCH AS I COULD, AND THE BALLOON LANDED ALONGSIDE THE PWR LINES, AND A BARBED WIRE FENCE. AFTER THE BASKET TOUCHED DOWN, AND I WAS SURE WE WERE NOT IN IMMEDIATE DANGER OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, SO I INSTRUCTED THE PAX TO EVAC THE BALLOON, AND RUN WELL CLR OF THE COMPLETE BALLOON, AND I DID THE SAME. AFTER I NEW MY PAX AND I WERE SAFE, I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT LNDG SITE SAFETY. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED IN ABOUT 2 MINS, AND I ASKED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO CALL THE PWR COMPANY TO DETERMINE THAT THE ELECTRICAL PWR WAS OFF. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE PWR WAS OFF, I WENT BACK TO THE BALLOON AND SHUT DOWN THE BURNER AND FUEL SYS. AFTER EVACING THE ACFT, AND PRIOR TO SHUTTING THE PLT LIGHT OFF, THE BALLOON DEFLATED AND LAID ON THE BURNER, CAUSING BURN DAMAGE TO THE SKIRT, 1 SUSPENSION CABLE AND NUMEROUS PANELS OF THE ENVELOPE. 2 PANELS AT THE MOUTH OF THE ENVELOPE APPEARED TO BE TORN BY THE BARBED WIRE FENCE AT THE LNDG SITE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. DURING THE DSNT, I HEARD THE SOUND OF ELECTRICAL ARCING, BUT DID NOT SEE A FLASH. I WAS PARTIALLY IN THE BASKET, PULLING AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE VENT LINE, TRYING TO LAND PRIOR TO THE PWR LINES. THE BALLOON WAS INSPECTED BY FAA, 4 BALLOON REPAIR PERSONS, AND THE BALLOON MEET SAFETY OFFICER, AND NONE OF US COULD FIND ANY INDICATION OF THE ENVELOPE CONTACTING AND SHORTING OUT THE PWR LINES. PWR WAS OFF IN THE AREA. INSPECTING THE LNDG SITE, WE NOTED THAT THE PWR LINES WERE OVERGROWN WITH NUMEROUS LIMBS THAT WERE EXTENDING THROUGH THE LINES. 1 AREA OF THOSE LIMBS LOOKED LIKE THEY COULD HAVE BEEN BENT OVER BY THE BALLOON ENVELOPE AND CAUSED THEM TO SHORT OUT THE PWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.