Narrative:

At approximately XA00 am, I was making my final approach to a landing in a small paved area adjacent to a side road. Due to deep snow in the area, I was landing near the road. I had 5 passenger in the basket on a scenic flight near the steamboat ski area. There were 6 other balloons operating in the immediate area. WX was cavu and the surface winds were estimated at approximately 7-8 KTS. As I approached the landing site at an altitude of less than 10 ft AGL, and a distance of less than 10 ft from the road, a car turned onto the road and proceeded to pull out in front of me. I had been unable to see the car until that moment as it approached the intersection from behind and to the left of the balloon. The driver apparently did not see the balloon. I hit both burners in an attempt to go around, but was unable to, given my ground speed and rate of descent. (I was no more than 5-10 seconds from touchdown at the time.) the balloon basket contacted the rear deck of the car at a shallow angle resulting in a small dent. There was no damage to the balloon and no injuries to anyone in the balloon or in the car. I landed immediately, but by the time that my ground crew got me back to the road (upwind in deep snow), the driver of the car had left. Obviously, if I hadn't chosen to land at that place and time the collision would not have occurred, but it was typical of landing profiles and sites that I have used literally hundreds of times. I find it hard to imagine that the driver was unable to see a 60 ft tall, brightly colored balloon no more than 10 ft away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON LNDG NEAR ROAD ACCOUNT DEEP SNOW IN THE AREA. CAR MOVED INTO THE APCH PATH AND WAS UNABLE TO EXECUTE GAR. BASKET CONTACTED THE CAR WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES TO PAX IN THE BALLOON OR DAMAGE.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 AM, I WAS MAKING MY FINAL APCH TO A LNDG IN A SMALL PAVED AREA ADJACENT TO A SIDE ROAD. DUE TO DEEP SNOW IN THE AREA, I WAS LNDG NEAR THE ROAD. I HAD 5 PAX IN THE BASKET ON A SCENIC FLT NEAR THE STEAMBOAT SKI AREA. THERE WERE 6 OTHER BALLOONS OPERATING IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. WX WAS CAVU AND THE SURFACE WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT APPROX 7-8 KTS. AS I APCHED THE LNDG SITE AT AN ALT OF LESS THAN 10 FT AGL, AND A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 10 FT FROM THE ROAD, A CAR TURNED ONTO THE ROAD AND PROCEEDED TO PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO SEE THE CAR UNTIL THAT MOMENT AS IT APCHED THE INTXN FROM BEHIND AND TO THE L OF THE BALLOON. THE DRIVER APPARENTLY DID NOT SEE THE BALLOON. I HIT BOTH BURNERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO, GIVEN MY GND SPD AND RATE OF DSCNT. (I WAS NO MORE THAN 5-10 SECONDS FROM TOUCHDOWN AT THE TIME.) THE BALLOON BASKET CONTACTED THE REAR DECK OF THE CAR AT A SHALLOW ANGLE RESULTING IN A SMALL DENT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON AND NO INJURIES TO ANYONE IN THE BALLOON OR IN THE CAR. I LANDED IMMEDIATELY, BUT BY THE TIME THAT MY GND CREW GOT ME BACK TO THE ROAD (UPWIND IN DEEP SNOW), THE DRIVER OF THE CAR HAD LEFT. OBVIOUSLY, IF I HADN'T CHOSEN TO LAND AT THAT PLACE AND TIME THE COLLISION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED, BUT IT WAS TYPICAL OF LNDG PROFILES AND SITES THAT I HAVE USED LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES. I FIND IT HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEE A 60 FT TALL, BRIGHTLY COLORED BALLOON NO MORE THAN 10 FT AWAY.

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.