Narrative:

Estimated 2 hour flight with northeast wind at 4-5 KTS. 1 hour into flight, unexpected rapidly forming low pressure changed wind direction and speed. Wind shift took us away from landing site towards a large lake. After lakem in direction of flight were few landing sites due to dense forest area. Contoured 100-150 ft trees at 15-18 mph. With less than 25% fuel remaining and 1/2 hour before sunset, elected to make confined space landing at high speed. Attempted to reduce speed by dragging tree tops and hitting several small trees on landing. Rebounded on landing and making contact with wire power lines imminent. Performed full deflation prior to power line contact and secured fuel lines. Metal hoop skirt made contact between power line and basket metal suspension lines and fuel lines. Power line arc burned through vapor pilot fuel line with small fireball and partial burn to skirt. One support line severed. Basket slowly descended to ground. Pilot and passenger minimized contact with metal structures and jumped from basket to prevent possible shock. Worked with local residents and 911 personnel to secure site and protect others from possible shock hazard. Power line personnel grounded lines and assisted in envelope removed from power line, using fabric on fabric removal method, without any damage to fabric. Contributing factors: unexpected wind change and velocity increase. Lack of suitable landing sites. High speed landing with bounce due to side vent deflation. Metal in hoop skirt, suspension lines, and fuel lines provided ground for power lines. Contributing actions: selection of balloon with parachute deflation system would have permitted safe confined space landing without bounce and drag out. Newer balloon construction eliminating metal hoop skirt, metal suspension lines, and fuel lines would minimize potential shock hazard with inadvertent power line contact. Will use current balloon for tether or wide open spaces only. Will secure newer parachute deflation style balloon with non-conductive materials for cross country flts. Human factors: recent commercial training and safety training allowed rapid response to rapidly changing situation with proper response preventing injury to pilot and passenger. Thanked my instructor for the preparation that likely saved our lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON PLT ENCOUNTERS A WIND SHIFT CAUSING THE CRAFT TO DRIFT OVER AN AREA NOT SUITABLE FOR LNDG. PLT ATTEMPTS TO LAND IN A SMALL OPENING AND STRIKES PWR LINES.

Narrative: ESTIMATED 2 HR FLT WITH NE WIND AT 4-5 KTS. 1 HR INTO FLT, UNEXPECTED RAPIDLY FORMING LOW PRESSURE CHANGED WIND DIRECTION AND SPD. WIND SHIFT TOOK US AWAY FROM LNDG SITE TOWARDS A LARGE LAKE. AFTER LAKEM IN DIRECTION OF FLT WERE FEW LNDG SITES DUE TO DENSE FOREST AREA. CONTOURED 100-150 FT TREES AT 15-18 MPH. WITH LESS THAN 25% FUEL REMAINING AND 1/2 HR BEFORE SUNSET, ELECTED TO MAKE CONFINED SPACE LNDG AT HIGH SPD. ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE SPD BY DRAGGING TREE TOPS AND HITTING SEVERAL SMALL TREES ON LNDG. REBOUNDED ON LNDG AND MAKING CONTACT WITH WIRE PWR LINES IMMINENT. PERFORMED FULL DEFLATION PRIOR TO PWR LINE CONTACT AND SECURED FUEL LINES. METAL HOOP SKIRT MADE CONTACT BTWN PWR LINE AND BASKET METAL SUSPENSION LINES AND FUEL LINES. PWR LINE ARC BURNED THROUGH VAPOR PLT FUEL LINE WITH SMALL FIREBALL AND PARTIAL BURN TO SKIRT. ONE SUPPORT LINE SEVERED. BASKET SLOWLY DSNDED TO GND. PLT AND PAX MINIMIZED CONTACT WITH METAL STRUCTURES AND JUMPED FROM BASKET TO PREVENT POSSIBLE SHOCK. WORKED WITH LCL RESIDENTS AND 911 PERSONNEL TO SECURE SITE AND PROTECT OTHERS FROM POSSIBLE SHOCK HAZARD. PWR LINE PERSONNEL GNDED LINES AND ASSISTED IN ENVELOPE REMOVED FROM PWR LINE, USING FABRIC ON FABRIC REMOVAL METHOD, WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE TO FABRIC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: UNEXPECTED WIND CHANGE AND VELOCITY INCREASE. LACK OF SUITABLE LNDG SITES. HIGH SPD LNDG WITH BOUNCE DUE TO SIDE VENT DEFLATION. METAL IN HOOP SKIRT, SUSPENSION LINES, AND FUEL LINES PROVIDED GND FOR PWR LINES. CONTRIBUTING ACTIONS: SELECTION OF BALLOON WITH PARACHUTE DEFLATION SYS WOULD HAVE PERMITTED SAFE CONFINED SPACE LNDG WITHOUT BOUNCE AND DRAG OUT. NEWER BALLOON CONSTRUCTION ELIMINATING METAL HOOP SKIRT, METAL SUSPENSION LINES, AND FUEL LINES WOULD MINIMIZE POTENTIAL SHOCK HAZARD WITH INADVERTENT PWR LINE CONTACT. WILL USE CURRENT BALLOON FOR TETHER OR WIDE OPEN SPACES ONLY. WILL SECURE NEWER PARACHUTE DEFLATION STYLE BALLOON WITH NON-CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS FOR XCOUNTRY FLTS. HUMAN FACTORS: RECENT COMMERCIAL TRAINING AND SAFETY TRAINING ALLOWED RAPID RESPONSE TO RAPIDLY CHANGING SIT WITH PROPER RESPONSE PREVENTING INJURY TO PLT AND PAX. THANKED MY INSTRUCTOR FOR THE PREPARATION THAT LIKELY SAVED OUR LIVES.

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.