Narrative:

After landing from a field with 3 other balloons, we flew in a direction which I was somewhat familiar with, having flown in the area 3 times before. It was more wooded than I remembered. 45 mins into the flight, the other balloons were setting down. My attempts at landing were foiled by a change in wind direction -- the 'lift' we had been using was no longer available and I was stuck flying over dense woods with no landing areas in sight given our direction of flight. Getting low on fuel (30% in each of my 2 fuel tansk) a field (about 75 yards X 75 yards) presented itself. Power lines, 2 braided wires, were surrounding the field, but I thought I could place the balloon just past the 'east' lines. In making my approach I thought I was coming in too fast. I hit the burner to slow my descent but burned too long. The balloon leveled off at about 5 ft and, with a wind speed at about 4-5 mph, glided into the lines. The envelope struck the lines about 10-12 ft above the mouth. The power lines arced then shut down. Meanwhile, the envelope recoiled, but not enough to come back off the power lines due to the wind. About 1/2 min later the power lines again arced due to the 30 second automatic reset being activated in the power line transformer. It shut off, the lines were dead, and the envelope deflated over the lines with the basket settled on the ground. Neither passenger or pilot was injured and the balloon sustained minimal damage, ie, burned spots and tears along with a severed cable. If I had started with 2 full tanks, I probably would have flown past this field and looked for another. Not being comfortable with the direction of flight, I succumbed to peer pressure. I had been uncomfortable the previous flts in this area and did not follow my instincts and go somewhere else. In landing, I should have done a 'spike in' landing with an immediate deflation. The attempt at this field should not have been made and I should have flown on, and, if necessary, set them in the woods.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RX8 BALLOON PLT COLLIDES WITH PWR LINES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A SMALL FIELD DUE TO A WIND SHIFT AND LOW FUEL.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG FROM A FIELD WITH 3 OTHER BALLOONS, WE FLEW IN A DIRECTION WHICH I WAS SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH, HAVING FLOWN IN THE AREA 3 TIMES BEFORE. IT WAS MORE WOODED THAN I REMEMBERED. 45 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE OTHER BALLOONS WERE SETTING DOWN. MY ATTEMPTS AT LNDG WERE FOILED BY A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION -- THE 'LIFT' WE HAD BEEN USING WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND I WAS STUCK FLYING OVER DENSE WOODS WITH NO LNDG AREAS IN SIGHT GIVEN OUR DIRECTION OF FLT. GETTING LOW ON FUEL (30% IN EACH OF MY 2 FUEL TANSK) A FIELD (ABOUT 75 YARDS X 75 YARDS) PRESENTED ITSELF. PWR LINES, 2 BRAIDED WIRES, WERE SURROUNDING THE FIELD, BUT I THOUGHT I COULD PLACE THE BALLOON JUST PAST THE 'EAST' LINES. IN MAKING MY APCH I THOUGHT I WAS COMING IN TOO FAST. I HIT THE BURNER TO SLOW MY DSCNT BUT BURNED TOO LONG. THE BALLOON LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 5 FT AND, WITH A WIND SPD AT ABOUT 4-5 MPH, GLIDED INTO THE LINES. THE ENVELOPE STRUCK THE LINES ABOUT 10-12 FT ABOVE THE MOUTH. THE PWR LINES ARCED THEN SHUT DOWN. MEANWHILE, THE ENVELOPE RECOILED, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO COME BACK OFF THE PWR LINES DUE TO THE WIND. ABOUT 1/2 MIN LATER THE PWR LINES AGAIN ARCED DUE TO THE 30 SECOND AUTOMATIC RESET BEING ACTIVATED IN THE PWR LINE TRANSFORMER. IT SHUT OFF, THE LINES WERE DEAD, AND THE ENVELOPE DEFLATED OVER THE LINES WITH THE BASKET SETTLED ON THE GND. NEITHER PAX OR PLT WAS INJURED AND THE BALLOON SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE, IE, BURNED SPOTS AND TEARS ALONG WITH A SEVERED CABLE. IF I HAD STARTED WITH 2 FULL TANKS, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FLOWN PAST THIS FIELD AND LOOKED FOR ANOTHER. NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH THE DIRECTION OF FLT, I SUCCUMBED TO PEER PRESSURE. I HAD BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE THE PREVIOUS FLTS IN THIS AREA AND DID NOT FOLLOW MY INSTINCTS AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. IN LNDG, I SHOULD HAVE DONE A 'SPIKE IN' LNDG WITH AN IMMEDIATE DEFLATION. THE ATTEMPT AT THIS FIELD SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE AND I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN ON, AND, IF NECESSARY, SET THEM IN THE WOODS.

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.