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A hot air balloon had to apply burner during acceleration descent after parachute valve remained unseated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 438637 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199905 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : and.airport |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | agl single value : 300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | landing : go around |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 216 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 438637 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Pilot had landed in a very poor landing site when decision was made to fly to improved landing site. Balloon had to be flown over 20 ft high power line and narrow county road to accomplish. Upon landing, basket began a normal pendulum swing. Placed balloon approximately 200 ft from and then 20 ft rural power line. Pilot applied burners. An 'overburn' situation occurred where balloon began ascending rapidly. Pilot vented while still in the ascent to establish level flight. Venting action caused the parachute valve to drop down and 'float' below its seat, allowing substantial heat to escape. Heat had to be applied to continue safe flight. Pilot consciously burned through nylon fabric panels at the mouth to arrest developing accelerating descent. Balloon was safely landed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HAD TO APPLY BURNER DURING ACCELERATION DSCNT AFTER PARACHUTE VALVE REMAINED UNSEATED.
Narrative: PLT HAD LANDED IN A VERY POOR LNDG SITE WHEN DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY TO IMPROVED LNDG SITE. BALLOON HAD TO BE FLOWN OVER 20 FT HIGH PWR LINE AND NARROW COUNTY ROAD TO ACCOMPLISH. UPON LNDG, BASKET BEGAN A NORMAL PENDULUM SWING. PLACED BALLOON APPROX 200 FT FROM AND THEN 20 FT RURAL PWR LINE. PLT APPLIED BURNERS. AN 'OVERBURN' SIT OCCURRED WHERE BALLOON BEGAN ASCENDING RAPIDLY. PLT VENTED WHILE STILL IN THE ASCENT TO ESTABLISH LEVEL FLT. VENTING ACTION CAUSED THE PARACHUTE VALVE TO DROP DOWN AND 'FLOAT' BELOW ITS SEAT, ALLOWING SUBSTANTIAL HEAT TO ESCAPE. HEAT HAD TO BE APPLIED TO CONTINUE SAFE FLT. PLT CONSCIOUSLY BURNED THROUGH NYLON FABRIC PANELS AT THE MOUTH TO ARREST DEVELOPING ACCELERATING DSCNT. BALLOON WAS SAFELY LANDED.
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.