A hot air balloon pilot flew into power lines. He complains of lower burner output.

Attributes
ACN	339457
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cou
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	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 : 70 flight time total : 250 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	339457
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The flight was going well until I experienced some low burner output. I checked fuel tanks and changed 1 burner to a fresh tank. The other burner I did not switch because its tank read 30 percent. A 200-300 ft descent started and I attempted to pull the balloon out of this gradual descent first with 1 burner. The burner seemed to be producing heat, but it was not slowing or stopping the descent. I then burned with both burners. The second burner did not seem to be producing heat as I felt it should. I doublechked the fuel and continued burning. The descent continued and I continued to burn, but my focus now went to what was I going to do if I could not stop the descent. I looked ahead to see what was on the ground in front of us. I saw that I had 2 homes to our left, a road on our right with a set of power lines running east and west along the road. Running north and south from those lines were 2 sets of lines running up to the homes. The north/south lines were around 400 ft apart. When I could not get the balloon to come out of the descent, I decided to try and land the balloon after crossing the first set of lines but before the second set of lines. I felt if I did not do this, we would not clear the second set of lines. After crossing the first set of lines, I vented and briefed the passenger on what was going on. The balloon landed 30-35 ft from the lines, bounced twice and the envelope dropped over the lines. The damage to the balloon was very minimal and there were no injuries. Looking back on the experience, I feel my backup burner system should have been used.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLEW INTO PWR LINES. HE COMPLAINS OF LOWER BURNER OUTPUT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS GOING WELL UNTIL I EXPERIENCED SOME LOW BURNER OUTPUT. I CHKED FUEL TANKS AND CHANGED 1 BURNER TO A FRESH TANK. THE OTHER BURNER I DID NOT SWITCH BECAUSE ITS TANK READ 30 PERCENT. A 200-300 FT DSCNT STARTED AND I ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE BALLOON OUT OF THIS GRADUAL DSCNT FIRST WITH 1 BURNER. THE BURNER SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING HEAT, BUT IT WAS NOT SLOWING OR STOPPING THE DSCNT. I THEN BURNED WITH BOTH BURNERS. THE SECOND BURNER DID NOT SEEM TO BE PRODUCING HEAT AS I FELT IT SHOULD. I DOUBLECHKED THE FUEL AND CONTINUED BURNING. THE DSCNT CONTINUED AND I CONTINUED TO BURN, BUT MY FOCUS NOW WENT TO WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO IF I COULD NOT STOP THE DSCNT. I LOOKED AHEAD TO SEE WHAT WAS ON THE GND IN FRONT OF US. I SAW THAT I HAD 2 HOMES TO OUR L, A ROAD ON OUR R WITH A SET OF PWR LINES RUNNING E AND W ALONG THE ROAD. RUNNING N AND S FROM THOSE LINES WERE 2 SETS OF LINES RUNNING UP TO THE HOMES. THE N/S LINES WERE AROUND 400 FT APART. WHEN I COULD NOT GET THE BALLOON TO COME OUT OF THE DSCNT, I DECIDED TO TRY AND LAND THE BALLOON AFTER XING THE FIRST SET OF LINES BUT BEFORE THE SECOND SET OF LINES. I FELT IF I DID NOT DO THIS, WE WOULD NOT CLR THE SECOND SET OF LINES. AFTER XING THE FIRST SET OF LINES, I VENTED AND BRIEFED THE PAX ON WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE BALLOON LANDED 30-35 FT FROM THE LINES, BOUNCED TWICE AND THE ENVELOPE DROPPED OVER THE LINES. THE DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON WAS VERY MINIMAL AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. LOOKING BACK ON THE EXPERIENCE, I FEEL MY BACKUP BURNER SYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED.

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.