CHI96LA294

The basket on a balloon was destroyed by fire when it contacted power lines during landing. The poles and wires were reported as difficult to see due to trees and vegetation. Two witnesses reported that the pilot was talking with ground crew personnel, and was facing opposite of the direction that the balloon was traveling, just prior to the accident. The electric company had given out maps to the pilots, showing the locations of the power lines in the area.

On August 14, 1996, at 0725 central daylight time (cdt), a Cameron Balloons US Cigpack-80, N4535W, was substantially damaged during landing at the US balloon championship competition in Columbia, Missouri. The balloon contacted power lines during landing. The basket on the balloon was destroyed by fire, the propane tanks and envelope were burned. The pilot and passenger sustained first and second degree burn injuries in the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported during a telephone interview on September 11, 1996, that the balloon was traveling into the sun while approaching the target area for landing. The pilot also reported that the poles which supported the wires were difficult to see. One pole was reported as hidden by ivy with the other pole reported as covered by a tree line. The pilot reported that once he realized that the balloon was going to contact the power lines, he shut off the burners, and pulled the rip top on the balloon. The pilot reported that the balloon made contacted with the top power line, which broke, and arched through the propane line starting the fire.

The investigator in charge (IIC) obtained two witness statements from a Federal Aviation Administration Operations inspector. Both witnesses reported that the balloon was traveling in a northerly direction. Both reported that the pilot was talking with ground crew personal, and that the pilot was facing opposite the direction the balloon was traveling. Both reported that the pilot initially appeared to try and deflate the balloon before contacting the wires, but then began using the burners on the balloon.

The IIC contacted a reporter for a local newspaper who photographed the accident balloon, just before and after it contacted the power lines. The newspaper reporter had also flown over the wires which the accident balloon hit. When asked if the power lines were difficult to see the reported stated "dam tough to see."

A representative of the electric company whose wires the balloon contacted was interviewed by the IIC on October 25, 1996. The representative reported that he had briefed the pilots involved with the balloon event on the locations of power lines in the area, and had distributed maps showing the locations of the wires to the pilots.