What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 12, 2000, at 09:00 am MDT, an Aerostar S-66A balloon, N5268L sustained substantial damage when it struck power lines during landing at Edwards, CO. The commercial pilot and his five passengers were not injured. The balloon, upon landing, and before the fround crew arrived, drifted into the power lines. The pilot heard the two pops from the power lines and evacuated the passengers, shut the equipment down adn deflated the balloon and then left the balloon. The flight was operating under title 14, CFR 135, commercial sight-seeing. (.19) on August 12, 2000, at 0915 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar S-66A balloon, N5268L sustained substantial damage when it struck power lines during landing at Edwards, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his five passengers were not injured. The flight was operating under title 14 CFR part 913 as a local area sightseeing flight and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, wind blew the balloon into power lines during the landing when the ground crew, who thought the pilot was going to hold it into position, failed to do so. The pil ot reported the wind at the time to be about 4 knots. Damage to the balloon was to the pyrometer, 7 panels and two load tapes.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 12, 2000, AT 09:00 AM MDT, AN AEROSTAR S-66A BALLOON, N5268L SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES DURING LANDING AT EDWARDS, CO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS FIVE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE BALLOON, UPON LANDING, AND BEFORE THE FROUND CREW ARRIVED, DRIFTED INTO THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT HEARD THE TWO POPS FROM THE POWER LINES AND EVACUATED THE PASSENGERS, SHUT THE EQUIPMENT DOWN ADN DEFLATED THE BALLOON AND THEN LEFT THE BALLOON. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14, CFR 135, COMMERCIAL SIGHT-SEEING. (.19) ON AUGUST 12, 2000, AT 0915 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSTAR S-66A BALLOON, N5268L SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES DURING LANDING AT EDWARDS, COLORADO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS FIVE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 913 AS A LOCAL AREA SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WIND BLEW THE BALLOON INTO POWER LINES DURING THE LANDING WHEN THE GROUND CREW, WHO THOUGHT THE PILOT WAS GOING TO HOLD IT INTO POSITION, FAILED TO DO SO. THE PIL OT REPORTED THE WIND AT THE TIME TO BE ABOUT 4 KNOTS. DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON WAS TO THE PYROMETER, 7 PANELS AND TWO LOAD TAPES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.