Hot air balloon ascends into clouds to avoid balloon ascending beneath.

Attributes
ACN	188711
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : q99
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sat
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 78 flight time type : 78
ASRS Report	188711
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

There was a 1200 ft overcast ceiling. The winds were calm. 8 hot air balloons launched from the same area. My balloon was 1 of the first to launch. I climbed to approximately 800 ft so the others would have room to launch. At this altitude I was becalmed. I hovered there for several mins watching the other balloons around and below me. Then, the balloon directly below me started to ascend. Yielding the right-of-way, I started a 200 FPM ascent. At approximately 1100 ft AGL the cool overcast started pulling me into it at 400 FPM. My view of the ground became slightly obscured. I vented to arrest my ascent. The balloon below had now moved off to the side and cleared a path for my descent away from the clouds. With the low ceiling and only 8 balloons in the area, the pilot of the aircraft below me should have realized there was only 1 balloon he couldn't see, and assumed it was above him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON ASCENDS INTO CLOUDS TO AVOID BALLOON ASCENDING BENEATH.

Narrative: THERE WAS A 1200 FT OVCST CEILING. THE WINDS WERE CALM. 8 HOT AIR BALLOONS LAUNCHED FROM THE SAME AREA. MY BALLOON WAS 1 OF THE FIRST TO LAUNCH. I CLBED TO APPROX 800 FT SO THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE ROOM TO LAUNCH. AT THIS ALT I WAS BECALMED. I HOVERED THERE FOR SEVERAL MINS WATCHING THE OTHER BALLOONS AROUND AND BELOW ME. THEN, THE BALLOON DIRECTLY BELOW ME STARTED TO ASCEND. YIELDING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, I STARTED A 200 FPM ASCENT. AT APPROX 1100 FT AGL THE COOL OVCST STARTED PULLING ME INTO IT AT 400 FPM. MY VIEW OF THE GND BECAME SLIGHTLY OBSCURED. I VENTED TO ARREST MY ASCENT. THE BALLOON BELOW HAD NOW MOVED OFF TO THE SIDE AND CLRED A PATH FOR MY DSCNT AWAY FROM THE CLOUDS. WITH THE LOW CEILING AND ONLY 8 BALLOONS IN THE AREA, THE PLT OF THE ACFT BELOW ME SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THERE WAS ONLY 1 BALLOON HE COULDN'T SEE, AND ASSUMED IT WAS ABOVE HIM.

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.