Narrative:

During a final approach to a landing site, my approach angle became too steep due to overventing. An attempt to decrease descent rate by burner operation was unsuccessful. My balloon basket clipped the top of a concrete wall surrounding the landing site. The basket tipped upon contact causing burner flame to burn a section of the skirt and envelope throat. Landing was aborted, balloon envelope damage was noticed upon final landing. There was no property damage to concrete wall. Pilot judgement error in venting time probable cause of wall contact. Pilot not aware of burner orientation to envelope upon contact causing envelope damage. I am planning to practice approachs and venting actions to better understand their interaction and impact upon final land approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RAVEN RX7 HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT THE TOP OF A WALL ON A LNDG APCH. PLT TECHNIQUE BURNER AND VENT CTL. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: DURING A FINAL APCH TO A LNDG SITE, MY APCH ANGLE BECAME TOO STEEP DUE TO OVERVENTING. AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE DSCNT RATE BY BURNER OP WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. MY BALLOON BASKET CLIPPED THE TOP OF A CONCRETE WALL SURROUNDING THE LNDG SITE. THE BASKET TIPPED UPON CONTACT CAUSING BURNER FLAME TO BURN A SECTION OF THE SKIRT AND ENVELOPE THROAT. LNDG WAS ABORTED, BALLOON ENVELOPE DAMAGE WAS NOTICED UPON FINAL LNDG. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE TO CONCRETE WALL. PLT JUDGEMENT ERROR IN VENTING TIME PROBABLE CAUSE OF WALL CONTACT. PLT NOT AWARE OF BURNER ORIENTATION TO ENVELOPE UPON CONTACT CAUSING ENVELOPE DAMAGE. I AM PLANNING TO PRACTICE APCHS AND VENTING ACTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR INTERACTION AND IMPACT UPON FINAL LAND APCHS.

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.