What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Contacted wires during approach to landing area. Basket lodged on power pole.(-23) while on approach to a designated target/landing area, the balloon contacted power lines. The passengers and balloon basket became lodged on a power pole. (.4) the accident balloon was part of a balloon rally. The pilot reported travelled to a target drop area near the Waterloo municipal airport. He reported that after dropping the 'baggie' a gust of wind caused the balloon to collided with powerlines northwest of the target area. After contacting the wires the balloon slid horizontally down the wires until the basket came to rest alongside a power pole. The pilot secured the basket to the pole using a rope and waited for approximately 2 hours until he and the passenger were lowered out of the basket by the fire department. Calm winds were reported in the area at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
CONTACTED WIRES DURING APPROACH TO LANDING AREA. BASKET LODGED ON POWER POLE.(-23) WHILE ON APPROACH TO A DESIGNATED TARGET/LANDING AREA, THE BALLOON CONTACTED POWER LINES. THE PASSENGERS AND BALLOON BASKET BECAME LODGED ON A POWER POLE. (.4) THE ACCIDENT BALLOON WAS PART OF A BALLOON RALLY. THE PILOT REPORTED TRAVELLED TO A TARGET DROP AREA NEAR THE WATERLOO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER DROPPING THE 'BAGGIE' A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE BALLOON TO COLLIDED WITH POWERLINES NORTHWEST OF THE TARGET AREA. AFTER CONTACTING THE WIRES THE BALLOON SLID HORIZONTALLY DOWN THE WIRES UNTIL THE BASKET CAME TO REST ALONGSIDE A POWER POLE. THE PILOT SECURED THE BASKET TO THE POLE USING A ROPE AND WAITED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS UNTIL HE AND THE PASSENGER WERE LOWERED OUT OF THE BASKET BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CALM WINDS WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.