Narrative:

Flight was conducted while participating in a hot air balloon festival competition in which contestant attempt to navigation back to a target field after launching at least 3 mi away from a site of their own choosing. Flight was conducted while operating under a FAA waiver of far 91.119(B) and (C), MSA's. WX forecast was marginal VFR until xc:00. Launched at xa:00 from site 5 1/2 mi, 200 degrees from target field. Visibility was greater than 3 mi with clouds at least 2000' overhead. During the flight a cloud bank moved overhead and the ceiling dropped to approximately 500'; however, the base appeared to be uneven. I was in uncontrolled airspace flying in an unpopulated rural area 20' above treetops. As I neared the target field I ascended to approximately 300' to cross several bldgs and I55. The ceiling in this area seemed to be approximately 400' and I could see landmarks several mi away. I descended to 150', then midway across the target field, initiated an ascent back up to approximately 330' in order to cross spectators and a group of bldgs with a 70' radio antenna on the downwind side of the field. At this point my balloon envelope may have penetrated the cloud base. Due to the uneven base of the cloud layer, my horizontal visibility possibly dropped below the 1 mi minimum VFR. At no time was the balloon basket enveloped by cloud, nor at any time was the ground not clearly visible for a radius of at least 1 mi. The construction of a balloon prevents a pilot from seeing a large segment of the sky overhead. The balloon top is 70' above the basket, so I possibly did ascend unwittingly into the cloud base. As I observed my horizontal visibility decrease, I started to descend to conducted the remainder of the flight clear of any clouds with greater than 1 mi visibility, continuing in uncontrolled airspace. To avoid the possibility of going IFR near the target field, I possibly should have more fully exploited the FAA waiver allowing a 200' altitude over the crowd rather than attempting to maximize the VFR altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON OPERATOR SUSPECTS HIS BALLOON WENT INTO THE CLOUD LAYER DURING A COMPETITION FLT.

Narrative: FLT WAS CONDUCTED WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL COMPETITION IN WHICH CONTESTANT ATTEMPT TO NAV BACK TO A TARGET FIELD AFTER LAUNCHING AT LEAST 3 MI AWAY FROM A SITE OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING. FLT WAS CONDUCTED WHILE OPERATING UNDER A FAA WAIVER OF FAR 91.119(B) AND (C), MSA'S. WX FORECAST WAS MARGINAL VFR UNTIL XC:00. LAUNCHED AT XA:00 FROM SITE 5 1/2 MI, 200 DEGS FROM TARGET FIELD. VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 3 MI WITH CLOUDS AT LEAST 2000' OVERHEAD. DURING THE FLT A CLOUD BANK MOVED OVERHEAD AND THE CEILING DROPPED TO APPROX 500'; HOWEVER, THE BASE APPEARED TO BE UNEVEN. I WAS IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE FLYING IN AN UNPOPULATED RURAL AREA 20' ABOVE TREETOPS. AS I NEARED THE TARGET FIELD I ASCENDED TO APPROX 300' TO CROSS SEVERAL BLDGS AND I55. THE CEILING IN THIS AREA SEEMED TO BE APPROX 400' AND I COULD SEE LANDMARKS SEVERAL MI AWAY. I DSNDED TO 150', THEN MIDWAY ACROSS THE TARGET FIELD, INITIATED AN ASCENT BACK UP TO APPROX 330' IN ORDER TO CROSS SPECTATORS AND A GROUP OF BLDGS WITH A 70' RADIO ANTENNA ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF THE FIELD. AT THIS POINT MY BALLOON ENVELOPE MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE CLOUD BASE. DUE TO THE UNEVEN BASE OF THE CLOUD LAYER, MY HORIZ VISIBILITY POSSIBLY DROPPED BELOW THE 1 MI MINIMUM VFR. AT NO TIME WAS THE BALLOON BASKET ENVELOPED BY CLOUD, NOR AT ANY TIME WAS THE GND NOT CLEARLY VISIBLE FOR A RADIUS OF AT LEAST 1 MI. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BALLOON PREVENTS A PLT FROM SEEING A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE SKY OVERHEAD. THE BALLOON TOP IS 70' ABOVE THE BASKET, SO I POSSIBLY DID ASCEND UNWITTINGLY INTO THE CLOUD BASE. AS I OBSERVED MY HORIZ VISIBILITY DECREASE, I STARTED TO DSND TO CONDUCTED THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT CLR OF ANY CLOUDS WITH GREATER THAN 1 MI VISIBILITY, CONTINUING IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE. TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING IFR NEAR THE TARGET FIELD, I POSSIBLY SHOULD HAVE MORE FULLY EXPLOITED THE FAA WAIVER ALLOWING A 200' ALT OVER THE CROWD RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO MAXIMIZE THE VFR ALT.

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.