AX7 balloon instructor with student pilot encounters windshear on approach to land as drop line rele...

Attributes
ACN	364227
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cll
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 30 agl bound upper : 30
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hnl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 656 flight time type : 388
ASRS Report	364227
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was concluding an hour of flight instruction in an AX7 hot air balloon. We were making an approach to land in a field with ground crew standing by on the ground. I dropped a drop line to the crew to assist with landing because there was a windshear above the surface winds. (Surface 5 KTS, 100 degree winds, 8-10 KTS.) the dropline was attached to the balloon with a marine type (heavy duty) quick release. As the crew grabbed the dropline and the forward motion began to stop, the quick release suddenly released. The student immediately added heat to the balloon and I took over and began to abort the landing due to a 50 ft in diameter tree line downwind. It was safer to continue climbing over the tree line than to try to land the balloon and deflate before reaching the trees. The balloon climbed clear of the leading edge of the trees but as the top of balloon (which had been flying with aerodynamic lift from the faster winds aloft) picked up speed the balloon descended into the top of the trees and branches which activated the burner blast valve, burning several panels. (Minor damage, no structural damage.) as the basket was freed from the tree limbs the balloon began to move downwind, however, the red line (deflation and vent line) hung in a tree limb and deflated the balloon. The basket settled through the trees to the ground and the envelope had to be removed with a bucket truck. No injuries or other property damage. The incident was set in motion by a faulty quick release which apparently had dirt or something in the mechanism which caused it to not fully lock. Failure to recognize the effects of the aerodynamic lift led to the dropping into the trees. The burner activation was a freak occurrence (by tree limbs). Failure to protect the red line from the tree limbs led to the unintentional deflation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AX7 BALLOON INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT ENCOUNTERS WINDSHEAR ON APCH TO LAND AS DROP LINE RELEASES UNEXPECTEDLY AND PLT ABORTS LNDG ONLY TO ENCOUNTER TREES EXITING THE AREA. THIS ACTIVATES BURNER BLAST VALVE AND DEFLATION VENT LINE BECOMES CAUGHT IN TREE LIMB. BALLOON DEFLATES.

Narrative: I WAS CONCLUDING AN HR OF FLT INSTRUCTION IN AN AX7 HOT AIR BALLOON. WE WERE MAKING AN APCH TO LAND IN A FIELD WITH GND CREW STANDING BY ON THE GND. I DROPPED A DROP LINE TO THE CREW TO ASSIST WITH LNDG BECAUSE THERE WAS A WINDSHEAR ABOVE THE SURFACE WINDS. (SURFACE 5 KTS, 100 DEG WINDS, 8-10 KTS.) THE DROPLINE WAS ATTACHED TO THE BALLOON WITH A MARINE TYPE (HVY DUTY) QUICK RELEASE. AS THE CREW GRABBED THE DROPLINE AND THE FORWARD MOTION BEGAN TO STOP, THE QUICK RELEASE SUDDENLY RELEASED. THE STUDENT IMMEDIATELY ADDED HEAT TO THE BALLOON AND I TOOK OVER AND BEGAN TO ABORT THE LNDG DUE TO A 50 FT IN DIAMETER TREE LINE DOWNWIND. IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE CLBING OVER THE TREE LINE THAN TO TRY TO LAND THE BALLOON AND DEFLATE BEFORE REACHING THE TREES. THE BALLOON CLBED CLR OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TREES BUT AS THE TOP OF BALLOON (WHICH HAD BEEN FLYING WITH AERODYNAMIC LIFT FROM THE FASTER WINDS ALOFT) PICKED UP SPD THE BALLOON DSNDED INTO THE TOP OF THE TREES AND BRANCHES WHICH ACTIVATED THE BURNER BLAST VALVE, BURNING SEVERAL PANELS. (MINOR DAMAGE, NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.) AS THE BASKET WAS FREED FROM THE TREE LIMBS THE BALLOON BEGAN TO MOVE DOWNWIND, HOWEVER, THE RED LINE (DEFLATION AND VENT LINE) HUNG IN A TREE LIMB AND DEFLATED THE BALLOON. THE BASKET SETTLED THROUGH THE TREES TO THE GND AND THE ENVELOPE HAD TO BE REMOVED WITH A BUCKET TRUCK. NO INJURIES OR OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE INCIDENT WAS SET IN MOTION BY A FAULTY QUICK RELEASE WHICH APPARENTLY HAD DIRT OR SOMETHING IN THE MECHANISM WHICH CAUSED IT TO NOT FULLY LOCK. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFECTS OF THE AERODYNAMIC LIFT LED TO THE DROPPING INTO THE TREES. THE BURNER ACTIVATION WAS A FREAK OCCURRENCE (BY TREE LIMBS). FAILURE TO PROTECT THE RED LINE FROM THE TREE LIMBS LED TO THE UNINTENTIONAL DEFLATION.

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.

AX7 balloon instructor with student pilot encounters windshear on approach to land as drop line releases unexpectedly and pilot aborts landing only to encounter trees exiting the area. This activates burner blast valve and deflation vent line becomes caught in tree limb. Balloon deflates.