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Passenger in hot air balloon observed pilot hopping the balloon over houses with only 3' clearance and less than 100' horizontally with apt houses.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 172170 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199102 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hdn |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bos |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 |
| ASRS Report | 172170 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 90 vertical : 3 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
My wife and I decided to go for a hot air balloon ride during our vacation at steamboat springs, co. The flight we were on was the last flight of the day. The pilot landed 3 separate times in attempt to get a suitable location to deflate and retrieve the balloon. All 3 lndgs were smooth and controled on streets or edge of streets. On one takeoff while proceeding to another landing area, I would estimate we were less than 100' horizontally from the upstairs level of an apartment complex. We then went up over a house, clearing their television antenna by 1-3', directly under the center of our basket. At no time did I feel we were not in control, but I believe the pilot used poor judgement in allowing the basket to be so close to buildings. Not to mention the requirement of 500' sep from such objects required by regulation. The pilot indicated this was common practice by balloon pilots. If this is true, it is a practice that the FAA should monitor in order to prevent accidents with unsuspecting passengers that trust their lives to these 'professionals'.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PASSENGER IN HOT AIR BALLOON OBSERVED PLT HOPPING THE BALLOON OVER HOUSES WITH ONLY 3' CLRNC AND LESS THAN 100' HORIZONTALLY WITH APT HOUSES.
Narrative: MY WIFE AND I DECIDED TO GO FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE DURING OUR VACATION AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO. THE FLT WE WERE ON WAS THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY. THE PLT LANDED 3 SEPARATE TIMES IN ATTEMPT TO GET A SUITABLE LOCATION TO DEFLATE AND RETRIEVE THE BALLOON. ALL 3 LNDGS WERE SMOOTH AND CTLED ON STREETS OR EDGE OF STREETS. ON ONE TKOF WHILE PROCEEDING TO ANOTHER LNDG AREA, I WOULD ESTIMATE WE WERE LESS THAN 100' HORIZLY FROM THE UPSTAIRS LEVEL OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. WE THEN WENT UP OVER A HOUSE, CLRING THEIR TELEVISION ANTENNA BY 1-3', DIRECTLY UNDER THE CTR OF OUR BASKET. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL WE WERE NOT IN CTL, BUT I BELIEVE THE PLT USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN ALLOWING THE BASKET TO BE SO CLOSE TO BUILDINGS. NOT TO MENTION THE REQUIREMENT OF 500' SEP FROM SUCH OBJECTS REQUIRED BY REG. THE PLT INDICATED THIS WAS COMMON PRACTICE BY BALLOON PLTS. IF THIS IS TRUE, IT IS A PRACTICE THAT THE FAA SHOULD MONITOR IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS WITH UNSUSPECTING PAXS THAT TRUST THEIR LIVES TO THESE 'PROFESSIONALS'.
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.