A commercial hot air balloon broke its deflation line while on the ground. The envelope flew away fr...

Attributes
ACN	222539
Time
Date	199210
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 525 flight time type : 11
ASRS Report	222539
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I had just completed an hour long flight in my small aircraft balloon. I was positioned on the landing site with my passenger still in the basket. I proceeded to pull the vent line to deflate the balloon. The vent line disconnected from the parachute top and left me unable to perform a routine deflation. My ground crew had offered an alternate deflation process. We tied the crown line off to the chase vehicle. We then proceeded to disconnect the 3 toggles connecting the envelope to the basket using the crown line to anchor the envelope. I was holding on to the last toggle to be disconnected with relative ease. The idea was to let the balloon FLIP upside down and let the air deflate through the throat of the balloon. Upon letting go of the last toggle, the momentum of the rising envelope was enough to pull free the knot of the crown line to the truck. The whole envelope ascended into the air about 300 ft and traveled about a half mi. The balloon was recovered immediately without any damage. The following day I took the envelope to a FAA repair station and had the balloon inspected and the vent line repaired. The passenger that remained in the basket on the ground were obviously unharmed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL HOT AIR BALLOON BROKE ITS DEFLATION LINE WHILE ON THE GND. THE ENVELOPE FLEW AWAY FROM THE BASKET IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEFLATE IT THROUGH THE THROAT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST COMPLETED AN HR LONG FLT IN MY SMA BALLOON. I WAS POSITIONED ON THE LNDG SITE WITH MY PAX STILL IN THE BASKET. I PROCEEDED TO PULL THE VENT LINE TO DEFLATE THE BALLOON. THE VENT LINE DISCONNECTED FROM THE PARACHUTE TOP AND LEFT ME UNABLE TO PERFORM A ROUTINE DEFLATION. MY GND CREW HAD OFFERED AN ALTERNATE DEFLATION PROCESS. WE TIED THE CROWN LINE OFF TO THE CHASE VEHICLE. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO DISCONNECT THE 3 TOGGLES CONNECTING THE ENVELOPE TO THE BASKET USING THE CROWN LINE TO ANCHOR THE ENVELOPE. I WAS HOLDING ON TO THE LAST TOGGLE TO BE DISCONNECTED WITH RELATIVE EASE. THE IDEA WAS TO LET THE BALLOON FLIP UPSIDE DOWN AND LET THE AIR DEFLATE THROUGH THE THROAT OF THE BALLOON. UPON LETTING GO OF THE LAST TOGGLE, THE MOMENTUM OF THE RISING ENVELOPE WAS ENOUGH TO PULL FREE THE KNOT OF THE CROWN LINE TO THE TRUCK. THE WHOLE ENVELOPE ASCENDED INTO THE AIR ABOUT 300 FT AND TRAVELED ABOUT A HALF MI. THE BALLOON WAS RECOVERED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I TOOK THE ENVELOPE TO A FAA REPAIR STATION AND HAD THE BALLOON INSPECTED AND THE VENT LINE REPAIRED. THE PAX THAT REMAINED IN THE BASKET ON THE GND WERE OBVIOUSLY UNHARMED.

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.

A commercial hot air balloon broke its deflation line while on the ground. The envelope flew away from the basket in an attempt to deflate it through the throat.