Narrative:

Student solo x-country training flight from marine corps air station (MCAS), el toro, ca, to ramona airport. Flight legs between MCAS el toro and julian VOR uneventful. Just prior to overflt of julian VOR, spoke with san FSS on 123.65 to request they close initial/return flight plan from ramona to MCAS el toro. Tracked 235 degree right from julian VOR, intent to land at ramona airport. Began descent from approximately 7000' MSL at julian VOR. While abeam sutherland reservoir, still tracking 235 degree right, pilot observed numerous (approximately 30) ht air balloons to left and right front, altitudes ranging from 1000-4000' MSL. Pilot notified ramona traffic of position on 122.7. Because balloons blocked path to ramona, pilot turned aircraft and began further descent to approximately 2200' MSL. Pilot received no response to repeated attempts to contact traffic at ramona on 122.7. Pilot circled twice southwest of sutherland reservoir at approximately 2000' MSL in order to avoid airspace filled with balloons. Continued search for ramona airport. Repeatedly called over 122.7 for relationship of ramona airport with respect to position of hot air balloons. No response received. Pilot then flew north to approximately 2 mi southwest of sutherland reservoir to reorient/reverify position. Due to no response on 122.7, called san FSS on 123.65 to explain situation/request assistance. Successfully contacted, explained position (250' MSL, southwest of sutherland reservoir) and situation (spi, solo x-country). Due to darkness and hot air balloon traffic, pilot requested deviation from flight plan previously filed with san FSS. Requested expeditious flight following to MCAS el toro. Once communication established with san approach, flight continued to MCAS el toro. Landed uneventfully. El toro tower notified pilot that san requested call mr. X, area supervisor. Pilot did so, discussed possible TCA violation. Later that evening, mr. X recontacted pilot's home, explained 'not are of major concern.' based on this information, no further action (except detailed brief to flight instrument) was taken by pilot until notified on 9/thur/sept that an investigation had been initiated by the FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states she ha checked NOTAMS with hawthorne FSS. None issued for the area of flight. When encountering the balloons she had herself pinpointed with a reservoir, descended, turned away from balloons. Decided this was not a safe place to be, and even though credit for x-country would not be received, determined not to land at ramona. Exited area to return to el toro. FSDO rep says they tracked the aircraft twice the distance from jli to ramona which would put aircraft near the ocean. Reporter positive she would have known if had flown so far and over an airport, a major town and major freeway. She only went a short way beyond reservoir, then returned and notified FSS of change in destination. ATC supervisor listened to tapes and expected to meet a much more experienced pilot from communications he had heard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLT TRACKING OUTBOUND ON VOR RADIO ENCOUNTERS MANY HOT AIR BALLOONS. DESCENDS, DIVERTS TO HOME BASE. ALLEGED TCA PENETRATION.

Narrative: STUDENT SOLO X-COUNTRY TRNING FLT FROM MARINE CORPS AIR STATION (MCAS), EL TORO, CA, TO RAMONA ARPT. FLT LEGS BTWN MCAS EL TORO AND JULIAN VOR UNEVENTFUL. JUST PRIOR TO OVERFLT OF JULIAN VOR, SPOKE WITH SAN FSS ON 123.65 TO REQUEST THEY CLOSE INITIAL/RETURN FLT PLAN FROM RAMONA TO MCAS EL TORO. TRACKED 235 DEG R FROM JULIAN VOR, INTENT TO LAND AT RAMONA ARPT. BEGAN DSNT FROM APPROX 7000' MSL AT JULIAN VOR. WHILE ABEAM SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR, STILL TRACKING 235 DEG R, PLT OBSERVED NUMEROUS (APPROX 30) HT AIR BALLOONS TO LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT, ALTS RANGING FROM 1000-4000' MSL. PLT NOTIFIED RAMONA TFC OF POS ON 122.7. BECAUSE BALLOONS BLOCKED PATH TO RAMONA, PLT TURNED ACFT AND BEGAN FURTHER DSNT TO APPROX 2200' MSL. PLT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE TO REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT TFC AT RAMONA ON 122.7. PLT CIRCLED TWICE SW OF SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR AT APPROX 2000' MSL IN ORDER TO AVOID AIRSPACE FILLED WITH BALLOONS. CONTINUED SEARCH FOR RAMONA ARPT. REPEATEDLY CALLED OVER 122.7 FOR RELATIONSHIP OF RAMONA ARPT WITH RESPECT TO POS OF HOT AIR BALLOONS. NO RESPONSE RECEIVED. PLT THEN FLEW N TO APPROX 2 MI SW OF SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR TO REORIENT/REVERIFY POS. DUE TO NO RESPONSE ON 122.7, CALLED SAN FSS ON 123.65 TO EXPLAIN SITUATION/REQUEST ASSISTANCE. SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED, EXPLAINED POS (250' MSL, SW OF SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR) AND SITUATION (SPI, SOLO X-COUNTRY). DUE TO DARKNESS AND HOT AIR BALLOON TFC, PLT REQUESTED DEVIATION FROM FLT PLAN PREVIOUSLY FILED WITH SAN FSS. REQUESTED EXPEDITIOUS FLT FOLLOWING TO MCAS EL TORO. ONCE COM ESTABLISHED WITH SAN APCH, FLT CONTINUED TO MCAS EL TORO. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. EL TORO TWR NOTIFIED PLT THAT SAN REQUESTED CALL MR. X, AREA SUPVR. PLT DID SO, DISCUSSED POSSIBLE TCA VIOLATION. LATER THAT EVENING, MR. X RECONTACTED PLT'S HOME, EXPLAINED 'NOT ARE OF MAJOR CONCERN.' BASED ON THIS INFO, NO FURTHER ACTION (EXCEPT DETAILED BRIEF TO FLT INSTR) WAS TAKEN BY PLT UNTIL NOTIFIED ON 9/THUR/SEPT THAT AN INVESTIGATION HAD BEEN INITIATED BY THE FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES SHE HA CHKED NOTAMS WITH HAWTHORNE FSS. NONE ISSUED FOR THE AREA OF FLT. WHEN ENCOUNTERING THE BALLOONS SHE HAD HERSELF PINPOINTED WITH A RESERVOIR, DSNDED, TURNED AWAY FROM BALLOONS. DECIDED THIS WAS NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE, AND EVEN THOUGH CREDIT FOR X-COUNTRY WOULD NOT BE RECEIVED, DETERMINED NOT TO LAND AT RAMONA. EXITED AREA TO RETURN TO EL TORO. FSDO REP SAYS THEY TRACKED THE ACFT TWICE THE DISTANCE FROM JLI TO RAMONA WHICH WOULD PUT ACFT NEAR THE OCEAN. RPTR POSITIVE SHE WOULD HAVE KNOWN IF HAD FLOWN SO FAR AND OVER AN ARPT, A MAJOR TOWN AND MAJOR FREEWAY. SHE ONLY WENT A SHORT WAY BEYOND RESERVOIR, THEN RETURNED AND NOTIFIED FSS OF CHANGE IN DEST. ATC SUPVR LISTENED TO TAPES AND EXPECTED TO MEET A MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED PLT FROM COMS HE HAD HEARD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.