Hot air balloon knocked over a power pole causing a power outage.

Attributes
ACN	300550
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 508 flight time type : 508
ASRS Report	300550
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Launched at XB15 pm after receiving a flight briefing at XA00 am. Briefing said 12000 ft scattered clouds, 20000 ft ceiling, and cirrus clouds above. Winds were 220 degrees at 6 KTS on surface at centennial. Winds aloft forecast 9000 ft 320 degrees at 19 KTS, 12000 ft 320 degrees at 23 KTS, building just east of continental divide with winds to increase to the east. 20 mins after launch, went 1/2 mi from launch, encountered severe downdraft. Proceeded east and south over populated area looking for a landing site. Made numerous approachs to fields at low levels and encountered thermal activity or possibly mountain wave activity. Continued south and east looking for large area to land. Encountered very severe downdraft from about 1300 ft AGL. With boomer full on, was still descending. Before leveling out, contacted a tree in a residential neighborhood. Directly behind the tree was a power pole which we uprooted and caused a power outage. Pole fell into a wooden fence, no other damage, and then I flew on. Final landing spot was found about 1 1/2 mi away. I was finally able to land aircraft. No injuries or damage to aircraft. Police department was on scene and a report was made. Returned to the pole incident site and spoke to the owner of fence and agreed that it would be taken care of. NTSB was contacted and made aware of situation. I was advised that if not contacted by FAA that evening, that no further action would be necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON KNOCKED OVER A PWR POLE CAUSING A PWR OUTAGE.

Narrative: LAUNCHED AT XB15 PM AFTER RECEIVING A FLT BRIEFING AT XA00 AM. BRIEFING SAID 12000 FT SCATTERED CLOUDS, 20000 FT CEILING, AND CIRRUS CLOUDS ABOVE. WINDS WERE 220 DEGS AT 6 KTS ON SURFACE AT CENTENNIAL. WINDS ALOFT FORECAST 9000 FT 320 DEGS AT 19 KTS, 12000 FT 320 DEGS AT 23 KTS, BUILDING JUST E OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH WINDS TO INCREASE TO THE E. 20 MINS AFTER LAUNCH, WENT 1/2 MI FROM LAUNCH, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. PROCEEDED E AND S OVER POPULATED AREA LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE. MADE NUMEROUS APCHS TO FIELDS AT LOW LEVELS AND ENCOUNTERED THERMAL ACTIVITY OR POSSIBLY MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. CONTINUED S AND E LOOKING FOR LARGE AREA TO LAND. ENCOUNTERED VERY SEVERE DOWNDRAFT FROM ABOUT 1300 FT AGL. WITH BOOMER FULL ON, WAS STILL DSNDING. BEFORE LEVELING OUT, CONTACTED A TREE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TREE WAS A PWR POLE WHICH WE UPROOTED AND CAUSED A PWR OUTAGE. POLE FELL INTO A WOODEN FENCE, NO OTHER DAMAGE, AND THEN I FLEW ON. FINAL LNDG SPOT WAS FOUND ABOUT 1 1/2 MI AWAY. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO LAND ACFT. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO ACFT. POLICE DEPT WAS ON SCENE AND A RPT WAS MADE. RETURNED TO THE POLE INCIDENT SITE AND SPOKE TO THE OWNER OF FENCE AND AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. NTSB WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF SIT. I WAS ADVISED THAT IF NOT CONTACTED BY FAA THAT EVENING, THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE NECESSARY.

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.