Narrative:

During landing approach I felt it necessary to descend at a gradual rate of descent. The wind at the ground level and up to about 100 ft was approximately 8 KTS. In a windy landing situation I was taught to make gradual approach and not touch the ground with a sharp angle of approach. This will keep the balloon from bouncing back into the air and possibly flying past the landing site. I had made 1 approach to landing near 19TH avenue and deer valley road. My approach was over open land and industrial buildings. The suitable landing site I chose was not accessible due to a change in wind direction and speed close to the ground. I aborted this landing and climbed to about 750 ft AGL to spot and maneuver to a second landing area. I chose a field about 3 mi south. When it was necessary to start my approach I did so about 1 mi from my selected landing site. The flight path needed to land at this location carried me over a residential area. I needed to fly beyond a row of buildings and land in a large field that would be conducive to a windy to semi windy landing allowing the balloon to drag until the air was vented from the balloon. My approach was smooth and without incident. My landing was not as windy as it would have been at the first attempt. About 1/4 to 1/2 mi from final touchdown I would estimate my altitude at about 200 ft AGL. I was greeted on landing by a phoenix police officer who thought I may have been in danger. When I explained my landing approach to him, he questioned whether I was below min altitude. When navigating a balloon, a pilot has to use the different altitudes and wind currents to steer. Sometimes it is necessary to abort a landing when it is felt by the pilot he does not have a good approach direction or landing speed due to higher winds. I feel a balloon pilot should be allowed to make his approach as is necessary for a safe landing. Lowering the required mins for balloon flight would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALLEGED BY POLICE OFFICER THAT BALLOONIST FLEW TOO LOW OVER POPULATED AREA FOR HIS LNDG.

Narrative: DURING LNDG APCH I FELT IT NECESSARY TO DSND AT A GRADUAL RATE OF DSCNT. THE WIND AT THE GND LEVEL AND UP TO ABOUT 100 FT WAS APPROX 8 KTS. IN A WINDY LNDG SITUATION I WAS TAUGHT TO MAKE GRADUAL APCH AND NOT TOUCH THE GND WITH A SHARP ANGLE OF APCH. THIS WILL KEEP THE BALLOON FROM BOUNCING BACK INTO THE AIR AND POSSIBLY FLYING PAST THE LNDG SITE. I HAD MADE 1 APCH TO LNDG NEAR 19TH AVENUE AND DEER VALLEY ROAD. MY APCH WAS OVER OPEN LAND AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. THE SUITABLE LNDG SITE I CHOSE WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE DUE TO A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION AND SPD CLOSE TO THE GND. I ABORTED THIS LNDG AND CLBED TO ABOUT 750 FT AGL TO SPOT AND MANEUVER TO A SECOND LNDG AREA. I CHOSE A FIELD ABOUT 3 MI S. WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY TO START MY APCH I DID SO ABOUT 1 MI FROM MY SELECTED LNDG SITE. THE FLT PATH NEEDED TO LAND AT THIS LOCATION CARRIED ME OVER A RESIDENTIAL AREA. I NEEDED TO FLY BEYOND A ROW OF BUILDINGS AND LAND IN A LARGE FIELD THAT WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO A WINDY TO SEMI WINDY LNDG ALLOWING THE BALLOON TO DRAG UNTIL THE AIR WAS VENTED FROM THE BALLOON. MY APCH WAS SMOOTH AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY LNDG WAS NOT AS WINDY AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE FIRST ATTEMPT. ABOUT 1/4 TO 1/2 MI FROM FINAL TOUCHDOWN I WOULD ESTIMATE MY ALT AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL. I WAS GREETED ON LNDG BY A PHOENIX POLICE OFFICER WHO THOUGHT I MAY HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. WHEN I EXPLAINED MY LNDG APCH TO HIM, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER I WAS BELOW MIN ALT. WHEN NAVIGATING A BALLOON, A PLT HAS TO USE THE DIFFERENT ALTS AND WIND CURRENTS TO STEER. SOMETIMES IT IS NECESSARY TO ABORT A LNDG WHEN IT IS FELT BY THE PLT HE DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD APCH DIRECTION OR LNDG SPD DUE TO HIGHER WINDS. I FEEL A BALLOON PLT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE HIS APCH AS IS NECESSARY FOR A SAFE LNDG. LOWERING THE REQUIRED MINS FOR BALLOON FLT WOULD HELP.

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.