WILSONVILLE, OR, USA
N71233
Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B
Having aborted the first attempt to land, the pilot was maneuvering the balloon for a landing in a second field. He maneuvered to pass over high tension (power line) wires, but did not see the static wire. The balloon subsequently impacted the static wire, which broke and began arcing after contact with the high voltage wires beneath. A fire erupted on the balloon's envelope, but the pilot was able to land without igniting the propane tanks. A high, thin, gray overcast existed at the time, which made visual acquisition of the single static wire difficult.
On June 16, 1996, approximately 0615 Pacific daylight time, a Firefly 8B hot air balloon, N71233, registered to and being flown by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with the static line above 230,000 volt high tension power lines near Wilsonville, Oregon. The pilot and one occupant sustained serious injuries while the remaining two occupants sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was a personal entrant into a balloon race, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from an open field several miles from the crash site. The pilot reported that after aborting a landing attempt due to overflying the field, he selected another field further downwind. He observed high tension lines and maneuvered to clear them but "never saw (the) 3/8" cable above." After the balloon contacted the static wire, it broke and the pilot observed electrical arcing as the line contacted the high voltage lines beneath. The balloons envelope caught fire, however, the pilot was able to land the balloon without igniting any of the propane bottles. The pilot also reported that "there was a high overcast" and that he "didn't see the small, grey wire until contact against (the) grey sky."
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the static wire, which became shorted to a transmission wire and subsequently caused a fire to erupt on the balloon's envelope. Factors relating to the accident were: the obstructions (power line wires), and the pilot's reduced ability to visually detect the static wire, due to the gray sky condition in the background.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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