What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5/30/99, approximately 0745 mountain daylight time, a Galaxy 8B (N5226T), operated by its owner, Mr. Theodore m. nagy, sustained minor damage when it contacted powerlines during a landing approach to a parking lot approximately 5 miles south of Anthony, NM. The pilot-in-command holds a commercial pilot certificate with airplane, single & multiengine, land, instrument-airplane, & lighter-than-air, balloon ratin(s). Neither the pilot, nor either of his two passengers were injured. Visual meteorological condidtions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed "wet 'n wild" water park, Anthony, NM, under 14 CFR part 91. During an interview, the pilot stated he has selected the parking lot behind a restaurant as his landing site, and was maneuvering toward the area. He and his passengers scanned the area for obstructions, and noticed a fence on a berm of higher ground to the upwind side of the area. He began a slow descent, planning to touch down on the upwind edge of the parking lot. As the balloon descended he noticed the wires against the sky (he stated the poles blended in with the building on one side and a debris pile on the other - the powerlines th emselves were masked by the dark colored parking lot.) He instructed his passengers to sit on the floor of the basket and began to deflate the balloon. He balloon basket and envelope contacted the ground and powerlines simultaneously. The aircraft came to rest with the basket on the ground and the envelopedraped over the powerlines. Mr. Nagy has met with the abq FSDO safety program manager, (spm) about this incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON 5/30/99, APPROXIMATELY 0745 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A GALAXY 8B (N5226T), OPERATED BY ITS OWNER, MR. THEODORE M. NAGY, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT CONTACTED POWERLINES DURING A LANDING APPROACH TO A PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTH OF ANTHONY, NM. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE, SINGLE & MULTIENGINE, LAND, INSTRUMENT-AIRPLANE, & LIGHTER-THAN-AIR, BALLOON RATIN(S). NEITHER THE PILOT, NOR EITHER OF HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDIDTIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED "WET 'N WILD" WATER PARK, ANTHONY, NM, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED HE HAS SELECTED THE PARKING LOT BEHIND A RESTAURANT AS HIS LANDING SITE, AND WAS MANEUVERING TOWARD THE AREA. HE AND HIS PASSENGERS SCANNED THE AREA FOR OBSTRUCTIONS, AND NOTICED A FENCE ON A BERM OF HIGHER GROUND TO THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE AREA. HE BEGAN A SLOW DESCENT, PLANNING TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE UPWIND EDGE OF THE PARKING LOT. AS THE BALLOON DESCENDED HE NOTICED THE WIRES AGAINST THE SKY (HE STATED THE POLES BLENDED IN WITH THE BUILDING ON ONE SIDE AND A DEBRIS PILE ON THE OTHER - THE POWERLINES TH EMSELVES WERE MASKED BY THE DARK COLORED PARKING LOT.) HE INSTRUCTED HIS PASSENGERS TO SIT ON THE FLOOR OF THE BASKET AND BEGAN TO DEFLATE THE BALLOON. HE BALLOON BASKET AND ENVELOPE CONTACTED THE GROUND AND POWERLINES SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH THE BASKET ON THE GROUND AND THE ENVELOPEDRAPED OVER THE POWERLINES. MR. NAGY HAS MET WITH THE ABQ FSDO SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGER, (SPM) ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.