Narrative:

Routine takeoff near the eagle river at arrowhead golf course. Flew east along the river at various altitudes up to 100 ft. At approximately 1 mi east of the launch site, I ascended to approximately 500 ft AGL to catch a breeze to take the balloon west. I descended to about 300 ft AGL over the singletree area and picked up a light breeze to the northwest. After clearing the main residential area, I descended to approximately 75 ft AGL to look for an area suitable to exchange passengers. I was looking in the parking lot clubhouse area of the singletree golf club for a landing spot. As I drifted across the parking lot some golfers to my right asked if I was going to land there, I answered that it was a little congested and probably not. At that same moment my crew called on the radio to ask if I was going to land. When I looked up from the radio the power lines were directly in front of me, about 20 ft ahead. I immediately pulled the deflation line and told my passengers to get on the bottom of the basket. As I dropped to the bottom of the basket, I shut off the propane tanks. Moments later, I heard the crackle of electricity as we struck the line. There was a short flash and the basket lightly dropped to the ground. I immediately stood up and shut off the pilot light switches. There were pieces of burning fabric around the basket and on our skin and clothes which I patted out with my gloved hands. I waived off potential helpers and waited with my passengers in the center of the basket until the fire department advised me the envelope was completely away from the power lines. Pilot and passengers were examined at the scene and transported to the vail valley medical center where the fabric burns were deemed to be superficial and classified as first and second degree. A full report was dictated to the eagle county sheriff deputy at the medical center. Damage to the aircraft is repairable . Replacement of 2 sets of cables and skirt fabric seems to be the only significant damage at this time. Possible human factors: complacency of crew and pilot after 2 days of uneventful easy flying. Bright sunlight along the pwrlines rendering them virtually invisible. Preventative measures: have pwrlines which are in unconventional locations marked on maps in aircraft and in chase vehicle. Repeat locations of pwrlines in all briefings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON FLT ON A PLEASURE JAUNT RUNS INTO OBSTRUCTION NOT VISIBLE PWR LINE.

Narrative: ROUTINE TKOF NEAR THE EAGLE RIVER AT ARROWHEAD GOLF COURSE. FLEW E ALONG THE RIVER AT VARIOUS ALTS UP TO 100 FT. AT APPROX 1 MI E OF THE LAUNCH SITE, I ASCENDED TO APPROX 500 FT AGL TO CATCH A BREEZE TO TAKE THE BALLOON W. I DSNDED TO ABOUT 300 FT AGL OVER THE SINGLETREE AREA AND PICKED UP A LIGHT BREEZE TO THE NW. AFTER CLRING THE MAIN RESIDENTIAL AREA, I DSNDED TO APPROX 75 FT AGL TO LOOK FOR AN AREA SUITABLE TO EXCHANGE PAXS. I WAS LOOKING IN THE PARKING LOT CLUBHOUSE AREA OF THE SINGLETREE GOLF CLUB FOR A LNDG SPOT. AS I DRIFTED ACROSS THE PARKING LOT SOME GOLFERS TO MY R ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO LAND THERE, I ANSWERED THAT IT WAS A LITTLE CONGESTED AND PROBABLY NOT. AT THAT SAME MOMENT MY CREW CALLED ON THE RADIO TO ASK IF I WAS GOING TO LAND. WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM THE RADIO THE PWR LINES WERE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, ABOUT 20 FT AHEAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE DEFLATION LINE AND TOLD MY PAXS TO GET ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET. AS I DROPPED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET, I SHUT OFF THE PROPANE TANKS. MOMENTS LATER, I HEARD THE CRACKLE OF ELECTRICITY AS WE STRUCK THE LINE. THERE WAS A SHORT FLASH AND THE BASKET LIGHTLY DROPPED TO THE GND. I IMMEDIATELY STOOD UP AND SHUT OFF THE PLT LIGHT SWITCHES. THERE WERE PIECES OF BURNING FABRIC AROUND THE BASKET AND ON OUR SKIN AND CLOTHES WHICH I PATTED OUT WITH MY GLOVED HANDS. I WAIVED OFF POTENTIAL HELPERS AND WAITED WITH MY PAXS IN THE CENTER OF THE BASKET UNTIL THE FIRE DEPT ADVISED ME THE ENVELOPE WAS COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE PWR LINES. PLT AND PAXS WERE EXAMINED AT THE SCENE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE VAIL VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER WHERE THE FABRIC BURNS WERE DEEMED TO BE SUPERFICIAL AND CLASSIFIED AS FIRST AND SECOND DEG. A FULL RPT WAS DICTATED TO THE EAGLE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTY AT THE MEDICAL CENTER. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT IS REPAIRABLE . REPLACEMENT OF 2 SETS OF CABLES AND SKIRT FABRIC SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AT THIS TIME. POSSIBLE HUMAN FACTORS: COMPLACENCY OF CREW AND PLT AFTER 2 DAYS OF UNEVENTFUL EASY FLYING. BRIGHT SUNLIGHT ALONG THE PWRLINES RENDERING THEM VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE. PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: HAVE PWRLINES WHICH ARE IN UNCONVENTIONAL LOCATIONS MARKED ON MAPS IN ACFT AND IN CHASE VEHICLE. REPEAT LOCATIONS OF PWRLINES IN ALL BRIEFINGS.

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.