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Near midair collision between 2 hot air balloons touching at 2000 ft AGL when 1 balloon below and off to one side started ascending as the other had started descending. Both pilots started correcting back to stop the potential collision. There was no damage to the balloons or injuries to the occupants.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 415001 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ags |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 2000 agl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 228 flight time type : 228 |
| ASRS Report | 415001 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was at cruising altitude when observed balloon #2 flying under and away from me. At that time, I started a steady descent to find more steerable winds. Balloon #2 then started ascent and I proceeded to gain altitude to keep from touching. We touched anyway. No problems were noted from either aircraft and both flew on to landing sometime later. This was a mass balloon ascension with 30 balloons flying at approximately the same time in slow winds.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS TOUCHING AT 2000 FT AGL WHEN 1 BALLOON BELOW AND OFF TO ONE SIDE STARTED ASCENDING AS THE OTHER HAD STARTED DSNDING. BOTH PLTS STARTED CORRECTING BACK TO STOP THE POTENTIAL COLLISION. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOONS OR INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS.
Narrative: I WAS AT CRUISING ALT WHEN OBSERVED BALLOON #2 FLYING UNDER AND AWAY FROM ME. AT THAT TIME, I STARTED A STEADY DSCNT TO FIND MORE STEERABLE WINDS. BALLOON #2 THEN STARTED ASCENT AND I PROCEEDED TO GAIN ALT TO KEEP FROM TOUCHING. WE TOUCHED ANYWAY. NO PROBS WERE NOTED FROM EITHER ACFT AND BOTH FLEW ON TO LNDG SOMETIME LATER. THIS WAS A MASS BALLOON ASCENSION WITH 30 BALLOONS FLYING AT APPROX THE SAME TIME IN SLOW WINDS.
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.