Narrative:

I was flying a 140000 cubic ft hot air balloon over the north coast san diego area (the fairbanks ranch community). I was flying a heading of approximately 360 degree magnetic. At about 12 KTS from the lindbergh FSS, the closest reporting station (of miramar NAS), forecast the surface winds to become variable at 3 KTS at the time of sunset. The winds for this particular evening were flowing roughly 90 degree to normal conditions (normally the winds in the afternoon flow west to east, not south to north). Our launch site was chosen on the far south end of our flight corridor to account for this uncommon direction, after contacting FSS and plotting the flight path with helium balloons. Once in flight, I ascended to approximately 1300 ft MSL, and headed north to the fairbanks ranch area. From observing the other balloons in the air, I determined the angles between the wind layers were very slight, and that the steering was poor. The surface winds and winds up to approximately 200 ft AGL were heading approximately 350 degree at high speed, toward an area suitable for landing. Because the surface winds were faster than normal flying conditions, and it was clear they were not going to slow down as forecast, I desired a wind shelter for a slower and safer landing. By using the lower winds, the heading of 350 degree would take me to a sheltered valley just north of fairbanks ranch. I made a low (100 ft AGL) approach over a congested area, and the approach began earlier (and was therefore covered a greater distance). The far violation in question is 91.119, which is maintaining 1000 ft AGL over a congested area. I descended down to 100 ft AGL for 2 main reasons: 1) was to stay on course and land in a known landing area which would provide me with a wind break, and 2) was not to deviate towards a set of massive pwrlines that ran approximately 350 degree (the higher altitude I would reach, the closer I would head toward the pwrlines). There were very few landing sites beyond the sheltered valley I was targeting and I did not wish to run out of landing sites when approaching sunset time. I also did not want to have to land close to the pwrlines, or make an approach close to the pwrlines, as the surface winds were flowing almost exactly parallel to their direction of construction. My decision to make a low approach for landing was based on the fact that I knew the target site well (from previous lndgs). I desired a wind break to avoid a rough landing, I did not wish to fly on to unfamiliar terrain, and I wished to keep safe distance from the pwrlines. Once I cleared fairbanks ranch, I descended down into the valley, and although it was a wind break, I turned approximately 90 degree to the west toward trees and other obstacles. I then ascended back to 100 AGL to travel 350 degree magnetic again and landed at high speed at the north end of the valley, roughly 1/4 of a mi from the original landing target site.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON OVERFLIES CONGESTED AREA AT 100 FT AGL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A 140000 CUBIC FT HOT AIR BALLOON OVER THE N COAST SAN DIEGO AREA (THE FAIRBANKS RANCH COMMUNITY). I WAS FLYING A HDG OF APPROX 360 DEG MAGNETIC. AT ABOUT 12 KTS FROM THE LINDBERGH FSS, THE CLOSEST RPTING STATION (OF MIRAMAR NAS), FORECAST THE SURFACE WINDS TO BECOME VARIABLE AT 3 KTS AT THE TIME OF SUNSET. THE WINDS FOR THIS PARTICULAR EVENING WERE FLOWING ROUGHLY 90 DEG TO NORMAL CONDITIONS (NORMALLY THE WINDS IN THE AFTERNOON FLOW W TO E, NOT S TO N). OUR LAUNCH SITE WAS CHOSEN ON THE FAR S END OF OUR FLT CORRIDOR TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS UNCOMMON DIRECTION, AFTER CONTACTING FSS AND PLOTTING THE FLT PATH WITH HELIUM BALLOONS. ONCE IN FLT, I ASCENDED TO APPROX 1300 FT MSL, AND HEADED N TO THE FAIRBANKS RANCH AREA. FROM OBSERVING THE OTHER BALLOONS IN THE AIR, I DETERMINED THE ANGLES BTWN THE WIND LAYERS WERE VERY SLIGHT, AND THAT THE STEERING WAS POOR. THE SURFACE WINDS AND WINDS UP TO APPROX 200 FT AGL WERE HDG APPROX 350 DEG AT HIGH SPD, TOWARD AN AREA SUITABLE FOR LNDG. BECAUSE THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FASTER THAN NORMAL FLYING CONDITIONS, AND IT WAS CLR THEY WERE NOT GOING TO SLOW DOWN AS FORECAST, I DESIRED A WIND SHELTER FOR A SLOWER AND SAFER LNDG. BY USING THE LOWER WINDS, THE HDG OF 350 DEG WOULD TAKE ME TO A SHELTERED VALLEY JUST N OF FAIRBANKS RANCH. I MADE A LOW (100 FT AGL) APCH OVER A CONGESTED AREA, AND THE APCH BEGAN EARLIER (AND WAS THEREFORE COVERED A GREATER DISTANCE). THE FAR VIOLATION IN QUESTION IS 91.119, WHICH IS MAINTAINING 1000 FT AGL OVER A CONGESTED AREA. I DSNDED DOWN TO 100 FT AGL FOR 2 MAIN REASONS: 1) WAS TO STAY ON COURSE AND LAND IN A KNOWN LNDG AREA WHICH WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH A WIND BREAK, AND 2) WAS NOT TO DEVIATE TOWARDS A SET OF MASSIVE PWRLINES THAT RAN APPROX 350 DEG (THE HIGHER ALT I WOULD REACH, THE CLOSER I WOULD HEAD TOWARD THE PWRLINES). THERE WERE VERY FEW LNDG SITES BEYOND THE SHELTERED VALLEY I WAS TARGETING AND I DID NOT WISH TO RUN OUT OF LNDG SITES WHEN APCHING SUNSET TIME. I ALSO DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO LAND CLOSE TO THE PWRLINES, OR MAKE AN APCH CLOSE TO THE PWRLINES, AS THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FLOWING ALMOST EXACTLY PARALLEL TO THEIR DIRECTION OF CONSTRUCTION. MY DECISION TO MAKE A LOW APCH FOR LNDG WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT I KNEW THE TARGET SITE WELL (FROM PREVIOUS LNDGS). I DESIRED A WIND BREAK TO AVOID A ROUGH LNDG, I DID NOT WISH TO FLY ON TO UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN, AND I WISHED TO KEEP SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE PWRLINES. ONCE I CLRED FAIRBANKS RANCH, I DSNDED DOWN INTO THE VALLEY, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS A WIND BREAK, I TURNED APPROX 90 DEG TO THE W TOWARD TREES AND OTHER OBSTACLES. I THEN ASCENDED BACK TO 100 AGL TO TRAVEL 350 DEG MAGNETIC AGAIN AND LANDED AT HIGH SPD AT THE N END OF THE VALLEY, ROUGHLY 1/4 OF A MI FROM THE ORIGINAL LNDG TARGET SITE.

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.