Narrative:

After contacting FSS, we were briefed that conditions were IFR with visibility near 3 mi due to light early morning fog. Fog was expected to burn off shortly. Our launch field is located 4 mi southeast of the center of the airport. Our hand-held aircraft radio will not reach tower from the ground at that distance. Since the winds were carrying us away from the airport, and since we had plenty of visibility for VFR flight outside of the control zone and conditions were expected to improve, we contacted the tower by cellular phone and requested permission to launch. We were told to wait a few mins while they relayed the message to the controllers, then to proceed to launch and to stay in touch with the controllers once we were airborne. We followed the instructions, and contacted the control tower immediately when we were in the air. We were then asked why we had not contacted them first in IFR conditions, and were told that we were holding up traffic waiting to takeoff. We informed the controllers that we had been given permission, and apologized for the inconvenience and lack of communication. Evidently the message was not transferred to them. We kept our elevation to below 200' to avoid any possible IFR traffic, and then informed tower that we were approximately 5 mi out. We also informed them that we were going to land since we seemed to be interfering with the regular flow of traffic, and then immediately landed in a field near the 5 mi radius from the center of the airport. After packing in the balloon, I instantly went to the tower to discuss the problem. Evidently the person who had given me the special permission to fly in the IFR control zone was rather new on the job, and did not understand that this permission should not have been given if our flight would interfere with the regular flow if IFR traffic. I discussed this incident with personnel at the tower and agreed that in the future, during statutory IFR conditions within the 5 mi control zone, I would not seek permission to fly, but rather move my launch to another area away from the airport. I believe that this will rectify this problem and keep it from ever coming up again in the future, and make the traffic more safe during these periods of time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON ENTERS CTL ZONE IN IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING FSS, WE WERE BRIEFED THAT CONDITIONS WERE IFR WITH VISIBILITY NEAR 3 MI DUE TO LIGHT EARLY MORNING FOG. FOG WAS EXPECTED TO BURN OFF SHORTLY. OUR LAUNCH FIELD IS LOCATED 4 MI SE OF THE CENTER OF THE ARPT. OUR HAND-HELD ACFT RADIO WILL NOT REACH TWR FROM THE GND AT THAT DISTANCE. SINCE THE WINDS WERE CARRYING US AWAY FROM THE ARPT, AND SINCE WE HAD PLENTY OF VISIBILITY FOR VFR FLT OUTSIDE OF THE CTL ZONE AND CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE, WE CONTACTED THE TWR BY CELLULAR PHONE AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO LAUNCH. WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT A FEW MINS WHILE THEY RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO THE CTLRS, THEN TO PROCEED TO LAUNCH AND TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE CTLRS ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE. WE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND CONTACTED THE CTL TWR IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE WERE IN THE AIR. WE WERE THEN ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT CONTACTED THEM FIRST IN IFR CONDITIONS, AND WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE HOLDING UP TFC WAITING TO TKOF. WE INFORMED THE CTLRS THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND LACK OF COM. EVIDENTLY THE MESSAGE WAS NOT TRANSFERRED TO THEM. WE KEPT OUR ELEVATION TO BELOW 200' TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE IFR TFC, AND THEN INFORMED TWR THAT WE WERE APPROX 5 MI OUT. WE ALSO INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAND SINCE WE SEEMED TO BE INTERFERING WITH THE REGULAR FLOW OF TFC, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR THE 5 MI RADIUS FROM THE CENTER OF THE ARPT. AFTER PACKING IN THE BALLOON, I INSTANTLY WENT TO THE TWR TO DISCUSS THE PROB. EVIDENTLY THE PERSON WHO HAD GIVEN ME THE SPECIAL PERMISSION TO FLY IN THE IFR CTL ZONE WAS RATHER NEW ON THE JOB, AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PERMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN IF OUR FLT WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE REGULAR FLOW IF IFR TFC. I DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH PERSONNEL AT THE TWR AND AGREED THAT IN THE FUTURE, DURING STATUTORY IFR CONDITIONS WITHIN THE 5 MI CTL ZONE, I WOULD NOT SEEK PERMISSION TO FLY, BUT RATHER MOVE MY LAUNCH TO ANOTHER AREA AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL RECTIFY THIS PROB AND KEEP IT FROM EVER COMING UP AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, AND MAKE THE TFC MORE SAFE DURING THESE PERIODS OF TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.