# Incident 20020216008729I: Stnson V77, Bowvalley, NE, February 16, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 16, 2002, 17:33 local time
- Place: Bowvalley, NE
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.7154° N, 97.2522° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bow Valley, NE, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7154&lon=-97.2522&mi=10
- Aircraft: N50UL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50UL-2021-07-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons US V-77 (registry code 1880206, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-v-77) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: STNSON V77
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 180 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020216008729I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) DURING APPROACH TO LANDING, PILOT AND PASSENGER STATED THEY DID NOT SEE THE POWER LINES. POWERLINES WERE HIDDEN BY TREES. WHEN THE WIRES WERE OBSERVED, THE PILOT "DUMPED" THE AIR FROM THE BALLOON. THE BALLOON BASKET CONTACTED THE GROUND, BUT THE DEFLATED BALLOON DRAPED OVER THE TOP WIRE, AND CAUSED THE WIRE TO BREAK. ARCHING FROM THE POWER LINE CAUSED MOLTEN METAL TO DROP ONTO THE BALLOON, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE AND STARTED A 3 X 3 FOOT FIRE.INVESTIGATION BY THREE FAA INSPECTORS, TWO FROM THE AIR, AND ONE ON THE GROUND, THE LAND OWNER, AND BALLOON CHASE CREW ALL STATED THE WIRES WERE NOT VISIBLE, UNLESS A PERSON IS STANDING DIRECTLY UNDER THE WIRES.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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