Hot air balloon pilot has wine and flies within 3 hours.

Attributes
ACN	156340
Time
Date	199009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5tx4
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 290 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	156340
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At approximately af hours, I drank 6 oz of wine at a restaurant. At this same restaurant was a rep of the FAA. We proceeded to the flying field for a hot air balloon race. After some delay, the decision was to fly from the field, or tether the balloons on the field. Approximately 2 hours later, we inflated the hot air balloon and, in the excitement of the moment, decided to fly away from the field. I took another pilot along as a passenger with the offer made to this pilot for her to pilot the balloon. She declined to help fly. The FAA person reported the fact that I was free-flying the balloon within 8 hours of my drinking the wine. He asked the race officials to cancel my right to fly at the event on the next day. The obvious answer to this problem was that I should not have elected to fly away from the field under any circumstances. I made a severe error in judgement in thinking that I could get away with flying that afternoon.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HAS WINE AND FLIES WITHIN 3 HOURS.

Narrative: AT APPROX AF HRS, I DRANK 6 OZ OF WINE AT A RESTAURANT. AT THIS SAME RESTAURANT WAS A REP OF THE FAA. WE PROCEEDED TO THE FLYING FIELD FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON RACE. AFTER SOME DELAY, THE DECISION WAS TO FLY FROM THE FIELD, OR TETHER THE BALLOONS ON THE FIELD. APPROX 2 HRS LATER, WE INFLATED THE HOT AIR BALLOON AND, IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT, DECIDED TO FLY AWAY FROM THE FIELD. I TOOK ANOTHER PLT ALONG AS A PAX WITH THE OFFER MADE TO THIS PLT FOR HER TO PLT THE BALLOON. SHE DECLINED TO HELP FLY. THE FAA PERSON RPTED THE FACT THAT I WAS FREE-FLYING THE BALLOON WITHIN 8 HRS OF MY DRINKING THE WINE. HE ASKED THE RACE OFFICIALS TO CANCEL MY RIGHT TO FLY AT THE EVENT ON THE NEXT DAY. THE OBVIOUS ANSWER TO THIS PROB WAS THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ELECTED TO FLY AWAY FROM THE FIELD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I MADE A SEVERE ERROR IN JUDGEMENT IN THINKING THAT I COULD GET AWAY WITH FLYING THAT AFTERNOON.

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.