Narrative:

Balloon #1 had hot inflated, reached equilibrium and lifted off at 150 FPM vertical rise headed in an ese direction. Balloon #2 was in the cold inflation mode as #1 lifted off. Balloon #2 was hot inflated as #1 approached. Pilot of #2 did not look behind him prior to hot inflation to see if there would be any conflicts. (Not unlike a plane taxiing out of an intersection onto a runway without looking towards the end of the runway for another plane departing.) balloon #1 struck the envelope of #2 and slid past and up it. No damage was done to either aircraft though the pilot of balloon #1 did receive some minor facial abrasions from the nylon of envelope #2 as he protected the #2 envelope from the #1 basket wicker. Per 91.113 far pilot #1 was aware of the balloons in his path and their relative degrees of inflation and lift-off. According to witnesses who saw balloon #2 rise up to meet oncoming #1, pilot #2 apparently was concentrating on his balloon alone and not aware of others around him. Pilot #1 had no chance to avoid balloon #2. Pilot #2 believes he had the right of way but failed to be vigilant and to see and avoid.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 1 BALLOON WAS AIRBORNE WHEN A SECOND WAS BEING INFLATED AND LIFTED OFF BUMPING INTO THE AIRBORNE BALLOON. PLT OF BALLOON #1 ATTEMPTED TO KEEP THE WICKER FROM DAMAGING BALLOON #2 AND RECEIVED FACIAL ABRASIONS.

Narrative: BALLOON #1 HAD HOT INFLATED, REACHED EQUILIBRIUM AND LIFTED OFF AT 150 FPM VERT RISE HEADED IN AN ESE DIRECTION. BALLOON #2 WAS IN THE COLD INFLATION MODE AS #1 LIFTED OFF. BALLOON #2 WAS HOT INFLATED AS #1 APCHED. PLT OF #2 DID NOT LOOK BEHIND HIM PRIOR TO HOT INFLATION TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY CONFLICTS. (NOT UNLIKE A PLANE TAXIING OUT OF AN INTXN ONTO A RWY WITHOUT LOOKING TOWARDS THE END OF THE RWY FOR ANOTHER PLANE DEPARTING.) BALLOON #1 STRUCK THE ENVELOPE OF #2 AND SLID PAST AND UP IT. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO EITHER ACFT THOUGH THE PLT OF BALLOON #1 DID RECEIVE SOME MINOR FACIAL ABRASIONS FROM THE NYLON OF ENVELOPE #2 AS HE PROTECTED THE #2 ENVELOPE FROM THE #1 BASKET WICKER. PER 91.113 FAR PLT #1 WAS AWARE OF THE BALLOONS IN HIS PATH AND THEIR RELATIVE DEGS OF INFLATION AND LIFT-OFF. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES WHO SAW BALLOON #2 RISE UP TO MEET ONCOMING #1, PLT #2 APPARENTLY WAS CONCENTRATING ON HIS BALLOON ALONE AND NOT AWARE OF OTHERS AROUND HIM. PLT #1 HAD NO CHANCE TO AVOID BALLOON #2. PLT #2 BELIEVES HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY BUT FAILED TO BE VIGILANT AND TO SEE AND AVOID.

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.