What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While maneuvering the Balloon into position for the purpose of dropping a bean bag into a vehicle located on a road below, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient enough altitude to clear the power lines that ran across his flight path. This failure resulted in the envelope becoming entangled with power lines, and the basket to settle in a ditch below the wires. Direction of travel at the time was toward the south.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE MANEUVERING THE BALLOON INTO POSITION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DROPPING A BEAN BAG INTO A VEHICLE LOCATED ON A ROAD BELOW, THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE POWER LINES THAT RAN ACROSS HIS FLIGHT PATH. THIS FAILURE RESULTED IN THE ENVELOPE BECOMING ENTANGLED WITH POWER LINES, AND THE BASKET TO SETTLE IN A DITCH BELOW THE WIRES. DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AT THE TIME WAS TOWARD THE SOUTH.
Other reports on N3181A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.