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A balloon pilot searching for just the right landing place to impress his passenger chooses wrong and gets tangled with 100 ft tower.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 463052 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200002 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx.artcc |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 180 flight time type : 180 |
| ASRS Report | 463052 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ground encounters other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was out flying my hot air balloon with 2 other balloons. Visibility was excellent and the winds were high and variable. We had flown for a little over 1 hour and I wanted to land in a good sheltered area for my first time passenger. I found what appeared to be a good site with no power lines. We had progressed nicely toward the target when at 50 ft AGL the wind shifted 90 degrees right and blew me into a 100 ft tall tower. We were stuck on the tower. Factors involved in the decision to land at this site. The passenger had someplace to be at 5:30 O'clock. I felt a need to land so she could make her meeting. The winds were variable so I wanted to land someplace sheltered and without power lines. I was so concerned about power lines that I did not recognize the danger the tower presented. I wanted a good soft landing for this passenger. I had passed up other areas where the landing would have been harder.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BALLOON PLT SEARCHING FOR JUST THE RIGHT LNDG PLACE TO IMPRESS HIS PAX CHOOSES WRONG AND GETS TANGLED WITH 100 FT TWR.
Narrative: I WAS OUT FLYING MY HOT AIR BALLOON WITH 2 OTHER BALLOONS. VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT AND THE WINDS WERE HIGH AND VARIABLE. WE HAD FLOWN FOR A LITTLE OVER 1 HR AND I WANTED TO LAND IN A GOOD SHELTERED AREA FOR MY FIRST TIME PAX. I FOUND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A GOOD SITE WITH NO PWR LINES. WE HAD PROGRESSED NICELY TOWARD THE TARGET WHEN AT 50 FT AGL THE WIND SHIFTED 90 DEGS R AND BLEW ME INTO A 100 FT TALL TWR. WE WERE STUCK ON THE TWR. FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE DECISION TO LAND AT THIS SITE. THE PAX HAD SOMEPLACE TO BE AT 5:30 O'CLOCK. I FELT A NEED TO LAND SO SHE COULD MAKE HER MEETING. THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE SO I WANTED TO LAND SOMEPLACE SHELTERED AND WITHOUT PWR LINES. I WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT PWR LINES THAT I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE DANGER THE TWR PRESENTED. I WANTED A GOOD SOFT LNDG FOR THIS PAX. I HAD PASSED UP OTHER AREAS WHERE THE LNDG WOULD HAVE BEEN HARDER.
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.