Narrative:

As PIC, I chose to fly within the 5 mi radius of suffolk county airport. Having in my possession a current FCC radio station license and a 720 channel transceiver. At 7 am, the opening of this airport I tried to contact them but to no avail. I contineud flight after finding the radio malfunction and tried to fly out of the air traffic area. I noticed no light signals and had no choice but to continue my flight as there were no suitable landing areas. I landed at the first possible landing area next to ny route 27. Although I saw no other aircraft during my flight, I had an uneventful landing. The officials that arrived did and still are in my opinion overreacting with reference to this matter! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated that he had no idea why he couldn't contact the tower at fok. He had flown that direction a number of times and had even landed there 2 times after radio contact. No problems. He did not call them later to find out the whys. No FAA action as of this date. Police arrived on scene as they observed balloon land near the highway. No action there. The winds were checked that am and piballs released. Everything looked great but balloon could not set down earlier as they were over pine forests and would have damaged the balloon had they landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF HOT AIR BALLOON ENTERS AND IS PROX OF ATA IN AN UNCOORD UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AS PIC, I CHOSE TO FLY WITHIN THE 5 MI RADIUS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY ARPT. HAVING IN MY POSSESSION A CURRENT FCC RADIO STATION LICENSE AND A 720 CHANNEL TRANSCEIVER. AT 7 AM, THE OPENING OF THIS ARPT I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM BUT TO NO AVAIL. I CONTINEUD FLT AFTER FINDING THE RADIO MALFUNCTION AND TRIED TO FLY OUT OF THE ATA. I NOTICED NO LIGHT SIGNALS AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE MY FLT AS THERE WERE NO SUITABLE LNDG AREAS. I LANDED AT THE FIRST POSSIBLE LNDG AREA NEXT TO NY RTE 27. ALTHOUGH I SAW NO OTHER ACFT DURING MY FLT, I HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE OFFICIALS THAT ARRIVED DID AND STILL ARE IN MY OPINION OVERREACTING WITH REFERENCE TO THIS MATTER! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD NO IDEA WHY HE COULDN'T CONTACT THE TWR AT FOK. HE HAD FLOWN THAT DIRECTION A NUMBER OF TIMES AND HAD EVEN LANDED THERE 2 TIMES AFTER RADIO CONTACT. NO PROBS. HE DID NOT CALL THEM LATER TO FIND OUT THE WHYS. NO FAA ACTION AS OF THIS DATE. POLICE ARRIVED ON SCENE AS THEY OBSERVED BALLOON LAND NEAR THE HIGHWAY. NO ACTION THERE. THE WINDS WERE CHKED THAT AM AND PIBALLS RELEASED. EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT BUT BALLOON COULD NOT SET DOWN EARLIER AS THEY WERE OVER PINE FORESTS AND WOULD HAVE DAMAGED THE BALLOON HAD THEY LANDED.

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.