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During hot air balloon target contest, reporter inadvertently allowed his balloon to descend over audience and target below the allowed 75 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 185538 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199107 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : btr |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 75 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 185538 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far non adherence other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approached target field level at 100 ft over spectator area. Waiver designated 75 ft AGL min altitude over spectators, 0 ft AGL on scoring field adjacent to spectator area. Could not get low steering wind because of altitude requirement. Executed a burn to increase altitude while preparing to throw marker. Was close enough to edge of field that marker could be thrown into field. Waiver allowed throwing or dropping of marker. Tail of marker caught in rigging, taking a few seconds to extract. After hurrying the throw, turned to see that aircraft was descending rather than ascending. Officials claimed that aircraft was below 75 ft. Altimeter was below 100 ft but cannot verify actual altitude. Hit full burners at that point to prevent contact with power pole which was in flight path. Cleared pole by about 20 ft. There was no contact or harm done. Cause of potential problem was focus on throwing scoring marker, even though thought enough heat was put into balloon to cause ascent.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING HOT AIR BALLOON TARGET CONTEST, RPTR INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED HIS BALLOON TO DSND OVER AUDIENCE AND TARGET BELOW THE ALLOWED 75 FT.
Narrative: APCHED TARGET FIELD LEVEL AT 100 FT OVER SPECTATOR AREA. WAIVER DESIGNATED 75 FT AGL MIN ALT OVER SPECTATORS, 0 FT AGL ON SCORING FIELD ADJACENT TO SPECTATOR AREA. COULD NOT GET LOW STEERING WIND BECAUSE OF ALT REQUIREMENT. EXECUTED A BURN TO INCREASE ALT WHILE PREPARING TO THROW MARKER. WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO EDGE OF FIELD THAT MARKER COULD BE THROWN INTO FIELD. WAIVER ALLOWED THROWING OR DROPPING OF MARKER. TAIL OF MARKER CAUGHT IN RIGGING, TAKING A FEW SECONDS TO EXTRACT. AFTER HURRYING THE THROW, TURNED TO SEE THAT ACFT WAS DSNDING RATHER THAN ASCENDING. OFFICIALS CLAIMED THAT ACFT WAS BELOW 75 FT. ALTIMETER WAS BELOW 100 FT BUT CANNOT VERIFY ACTUAL ALT. HIT FULL BURNERS AT THAT POINT TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH PWR POLE WHICH WAS IN FLT PATH. CLRED POLE BY ABOUT 20 FT. THERE WAS NO CONTACT OR HARM DONE. CAUSE OF POTENTIAL PROBLEM WAS FOCUS ON THROWING SCORING MARKER, EVEN THOUGH THOUGHT ENOUGH HEAT WAS PUT INTO BALLOON TO CAUSE ASCENT.
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.