Hot air balloon flies low altitude over town.

Attributes
ACN	176179
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lnk
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 200
ASRS Report	176179
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The only problem was that I did not maintain 1000' AGL over the city. The problem was caused by changing and misforecast WX. I checked with flight service 3 times sunday afternoon mainly because it 'looked like rain'. The last briefing assured me the rain was 75 NM west and would dissipate because of a high pressure area over us. Winds were forecast to be 8 KTS but were and had been light and variable. I called the airport who said winds were calm or occasionally out of the north. I took off at a park on the south side of town after letting off a pibal that headed southeast. I immediately headed northeast right over town. I was going very slow (1 or 2 KTS). I knew wouldn't be able to make it over town all the way because of fuel and daylight so I stayed low, watching and ready for a landing spot. I found one after about 45 mins of flight, a school play ground. About 10 mins prior to landing, it had started to sprinkle. It was a soft, safe landing. No problems anywhere on the 2 mi flight. I just flew low. Altitudes ranged up to 1000' AGL during the flight (looking for a better wind speed and direction).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON FLIES LOW ALT OVER TOWN.

Narrative: THE ONLY PROB WAS THAT I DID NOT MAINTAIN 1000' AGL OVER THE CITY. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY CHANGING AND MISFORECAST WX. I CHKED WITH FLT SVC 3 TIMES SUNDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY BECAUSE IT 'LOOKED LIKE RAIN'. THE LAST BRIEFING ASSURED ME THE RAIN WAS 75 NM W AND WOULD DISSIPATE BECAUSE OF A HIGH PRESSURE AREA OVER US. WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE 8 KTS BUT WERE AND HAD BEEN LIGHT AND VARIABLE. I CALLED THE ARPT WHO SAID WINDS WERE CALM OR OCCASIONALLY OUT OF THE N. I TOOK OFF AT A PARK ON THE S SIDE OF TOWN AFTER LETTING OFF A PIBAL THAT HEADED SE. I IMMEDIATELY HEADED NE R OVER TOWN. I WAS GOING VERY SLOW (1 OR 2 KTS). I KNEW WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT OVER TOWN ALL THE WAY BECAUSE OF FUEL AND DAYLIGHT SO I STAYED LOW, WATCHING AND READY FOR A LNDG SPOT. I FOUND ONE AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS OF FLT, A SCHOOL PLAY GND. ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, IT HAD STARTED TO SPRINKLE. IT WAS A SOFT, SAFE LNDG. NO PROBS ANYWHERE ON THE 2 MI FLT. I JUST FLEW LOW. ALTS RANGED UP TO 1000' AGL DURING THE FLT (LOOKING FOR A BETTER WIND SPD AND DIRECTION).

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.