Narrative:

After approximately 30 mins of flight, I came upon a field, which I chose to land in. At the far end of the field was a tree line the width of the field, and only 1 or 2 trees deep. Upon landing the balloon, a gust of wind dragged the balloon through the field towards the tree line. I continued to vent, but the wind lifted the balloon and we came in contact with the tree, probably 10-15 ft AGL. There was a house on the other side of the tree line, and we were being pushed by the wind towards the house. I began to add heat to the balloon in an effort to lift over the top of the house, but the basket encountered the gutter and the roof, causing minor damage to the shingles and bending the gutter. We then gained sufficient lift to fly on. I called my crew via radio and informed them of the incident, and instructed them to go to the homeowner and tell them after landing I would return. After a successful landing in another field, I returned and discussed the incident with the homeowner, stating I would pay for repairs to the gutter and shingles, and they were fine with this. They had no problems, so we exchanged names and phone numbers and I left. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft during this incident. I believe this incident was caused by an unexpected wind gust.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LNDG BALLOON ATTEMPTS A GAR WHEN THE WIND DRIFTS IT TOWARDS A HOUSE. UNABLE TO CLB FAST ENOUGH, THE BALLOON HITS THE HOUSE.

Narrative: AFTER APPROX 30 MINS OF FLT, I CAME UPON A FIELD, WHICH I CHOSE TO LAND IN. AT THE FAR END OF THE FIELD WAS A TREE LINE THE WIDTH OF THE FIELD, AND ONLY 1 OR 2 TREES DEEP. UPON LNDG THE BALLOON, A GUST OF WIND DRAGGED THE BALLOON THROUGH THE FIELD TOWARDS THE TREE LINE. I CONTINUED TO VENT, BUT THE WIND LIFTED THE BALLOON AND WE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE TREE, PROBABLY 10-15 FT AGL. THERE WAS A HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TREE LINE, AND WE WERE BEING PUSHED BY THE WIND TOWARDS THE HOUSE. I BEGAN TO ADD HEAT TO THE BALLOON IN AN EFFORT TO LIFT OVER THE TOP OF THE HOUSE, BUT THE BASKET ENCOUNTERED THE GUTTER AND THE ROOF, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE SHINGLES AND BENDING THE GUTTER. WE THEN GAINED SUFFICIENT LIFT TO FLY ON. I CALLED MY CREW VIA RADIO AND INFORMED THEM OF THE INCIDENT, AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO GO TO THE HOMEOWNER AND TELL THEM AFTER LNDG I WOULD RETURN. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN ANOTHER FIELD, I RETURNED AND DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE HOMEOWNER, STATING I WOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS TO THE GUTTER AND SHINGLES, AND THEY WERE FINE WITH THIS. THEY HAD NO PROBS, SO WE EXCHANGED NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS AND I LEFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT DURING THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN UNEXPECTED WIND GUST.

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.