Overview
- A hot-air balloon trying to land near Pflugdorf in Bavaria was pushed by ground wind into a medium-voltage power line, leaving its basket about five meters above the ground.
- The envelope ropes and the burner basket snagged the cables, and an electric arc from the burner burned through one of three lines while the other two held the craft in place.
- Firefighters first switched off and grounded the line, then used a telescopic ladder to bring all three occupants down without injuries.
- Crews later lifted the balloon off the damaged lines with two cranes, and police said total damage could exceed €100,000.
- The incident highlights why rescuers cut power and ground lines on medium-voltage networks, where contact can trigger arcs that destroy conductors and risk fire.