2 hot air balloons collided while engaging in a special interest activity hot air balloon competitio...

Attributes
ACN	340801
Time
Date	199607
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hkf
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
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
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 218 flight time type : 218
ASRS Report	340801
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Incident occurred at a hot air balloon rally, under FAA waiver. High thermal activity. My balloon was suspended in a thermal, no vertical or horizontal movement. Another balloon, similar size, was traveling horizontally, approximately 4 KTS and entered the thermal as I was released. He rose as I descended. The other pilot did not see my aircraft. I applied heat as soon as I realized what was happening. However, aircraft response time was not adequate to reverse rate of closure. My basket contacted the envelope of the other balloon. The other pilot, fearing loss of volume in his envelope, did not vent. I continued to add heat until the 2 aircraft separated. No damage to either aircraft, no injuries. Comment: aircraft density is quite high during hot air balloon rallies. When thermal activity is high, consideration should be given to canceling the competitive aspect of the flight to allow greater aircraft separation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS COLLIDED WHILE ENGAGING IN A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY HOT AIR BALLOON COMPETITION.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED AT A HOT AIR BALLOON RALLY, UNDER FAA WAIVER. HIGH THERMAL ACTIVITY. MY BALLOON WAS SUSPENDED IN A THERMAL, NO VERT OR HORIZ MOVEMENT. ANOTHER BALLOON, SIMILAR SIZE, WAS TRAVELING HORIZLY, APPROX 4 KTS AND ENTERED THE THERMAL AS I WAS RELEASED. HE ROSE AS I DSNDED. THE OTHER PLT DID NOT SEE MY ACFT. I APPLIED HEAT AS SOON AS I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. HOWEVER, ACFT RESPONSE TIME WAS NOT ADEQUATE TO REVERSE RATE OF CLOSURE. MY BASKET CONTACTED THE ENVELOPE OF THE OTHER BALLOON. THE OTHER PLT, FEARING LOSS OF VOLUME IN HIS ENVELOPE, DID NOT VENT. I CONTINUED TO ADD HEAT UNTIL THE 2 ACFT SEPARATED. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER ACFT, NO INJURIES. COMMENT: ACFT DENSITY IS QUITE HIGH DURING HOT AIR BALLOON RALLIES. WHEN THERMAL ACTIVITY IS HIGH, CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO CANCELING THE COMPETITIVE ASPECT OF THE FLT TO ALLOW GREATER ACFT SEPARATION.

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.

2 hot air balloons collided while engaging in a special interest activity hot air balloon competition.