What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight began at a field near 1L8 airport in hurricane, UT. Before takeoff, the winds were checked and found to be coming from the north, with higher winds showing a western flow. During the flight, the pilot performed low-level maneuvers over a field northeast of the airport. As the flight progressed, the winds shifted, causing the balloon to drift north over the town of hurricane, UT. After considering landing options, the pilot attempted a landing near the virgin river, with the ground speed between 9 to 11 miles per hour. However, the landing was aborted as the balloon overshot the preferred area.
To regain equilibrium, the pilot performed a burn and maintained the flight path, executing another burn to clear nearby buildings and powerlines. The pilot used one burner initially, then both, to compensate for losing lift due to a cooling envelope temperature and lower-than-maximum fuel pressure. Realizing he could not clear the powerlines, the pilot ceased the burns and quickly vented the hot air from the envelope. As the balloon contacted the powerlines, the pilot continued venting the envelope and it draped over the powerlines. The basket remained suspended above the ground until the envelope tore, lowering the basket to the ground.
The crew advised bystanders to keep clear of the basket until the power company de-energized the powerlines and requested emergency services be notified. After the powerlines were shut off, the envelope was removed without further issues.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT BEGAN AT A FIELD NEAR 1L8 AIRPORT IN HURRICANE, UT. BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE WINDS WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE COMING FROM THE NORTH, WITH HIGHER WINDS SHOWING A WESTERN FLOW. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT PERFORMED LOW-LEVEL MANEUVERS OVER A FIELD NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED, THE WINDS SHIFTED, CAUSING THE BALLOON TO DRIFT NORTH OVER THE TOWN OF HURRICANE, UT. AFTER CONSIDERING LANDING OPTIONS, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A LANDING NEAR THE VIRGIN RIVER, WITH THE GROUND SPEED BETWEEN 9 TO 11 MILES PER HOUR. HOWEVER, THE LANDING WAS ABORTED AS THE BALLOON OVERSHOT THE PREFERRED AREA.
TO REGAIN EQUILIBRIUM, THE PILOT PERFORMED A BURN AND MAINTAINED THE FLIGHT PATH, EXECUTING ANOTHER BURN TO CLEAR NEARBY BUILDINGS AND POWERLINES. THE PILOT USED ONE BURNER INITIALLY, THEN BOTH, TO COMPENSATE FOR LOSING LIFT DUE TO A COOLING ENVELOPE TEMPERATURE AND LOWER-THAN-MAXIMUM FUEL PRESSURE. REALIZING HE COULD NOT CLEAR THE POWERLINES, THE PILOT CEASED THE BURNS AND QUICKLY VENTED THE HOT AIR FROM THE ENVELOPE. AS THE BALLOON CONTACTED THE POWERLINES, THE PILOT CONTINUED VENTING THE ENVELOPE AND IT DRAPED OVER THE POWERLINES. THE BASKET REMAINED SUSPENDED ABOVE THE GROUND UNTIL THE ENVELOPE TORE, LOWERING THE BASKET TO THE GROUND.
THE CREW ADVISED BYSTANDERS TO KEEP CLEAR OF THE BASKET UNTIL THE POWER COMPANY DE-ENERGIZED THE POWERLINES AND REQUESTED EMERGENCY SERVICES BE NOTIFIED. AFTER THE POWERLINES WERE SHUT OFF, THE ENVELOPE WAS REMOVED WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.