A sudden gust pushed a hot air balloon into power lines. The balloon was readying for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	313293
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cid
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 178 flight time type : 178
ASRS Report	313293
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Routine inflation with tie off. Balloon was one of several launching from same field. No problems with launches of 3 balloons was noted. All prior launches followed a trajectory parallel to the road and power lines. Envelope was heated to buoyant temperature and tie off was released. Upon tie off release, experienced false lift and a sudden wind shift caused balloon to make contact with power lines at equator of balloon. No injuries or property damage sustained. There was no damage to equipment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information:the balloon never was actually in-flight, it moved toward the power lines and the basket landed on a road. A sudden wind shift caused the envelope to drape over the power lines. The reporter and witnesses heard a circuit breaker pop, so they foolishly pulled the envelope off of the wires. There was an FAA representative on site who got the reporter's statement and decided that no action need be taken. The envelope suffered minor damage from a barb wire fence alongside the road. Other balloons taking off at the same time experienced this sudden gust also.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SUDDEN GUST PUSHED A HOT AIR BALLOON INTO PWR LINES. THE BALLOON WAS READYING FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ROUTINE INFLATION WITH TIE OFF. BALLOON WAS ONE OF SEVERAL LAUNCHING FROM SAME FIELD. NO PROBS WITH LAUNCHES OF 3 BALLOONS WAS NOTED. ALL PRIOR LAUNCHES FOLLOWED A TRAJECTORY PARALLEL TO THE ROAD AND PWR LINES. ENVELOPE WAS HEATED TO BUOYANT TEMP AND TIE OFF WAS RELEASED. UPON TIE OFF RELEASE, EXPERIENCED FALSE LIFT AND A SUDDEN WIND SHIFT CAUSED BALLOON TO MAKE CONTACT WITH PWR LINES AT EQUATOR OF BALLOON. NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EQUIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO:THE BALLOON NEVER WAS ACTUALLY INFLT, IT MOVED TOWARD THE PWR LINES AND THE BASKET LANDED ON A ROAD. A SUDDEN WIND SHIFT CAUSED THE ENVELOPE TO DRAPE OVER THE PWR LINES. THE RPTR AND WITNESSES HEARD A CIRCUIT BREAKER POP, SO THEY FOOLISHLY PULLED THE ENVELOPE OFF OF THE WIRES. THERE WAS AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE ON SITE WHO GOT THE RPTR'S STATEMENT AND DECIDED THAT NO ACTION NEED BE TAKEN. THE ENVELOPE SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE FROM A BARB WIRE FENCE ALONGSIDE THE ROAD. OTHER BALLOONS TAKING OFF AT THE SAME TIME EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN GUST ALSO.

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.