Narrative:

On jul/wed/93, I launched my hot air balloon from a church on highway 535 in lake buena vista, fl. The wind was light and variable. I flew with 4 passenger for about 45 mins without any problems. I was going to land on the shore of big sand lake. I came down low over the houses, probably 20-30 ft above them, in order to make the field behind them. The wind slowly died off and I became becalmed over an intersection in the center of the neighborhood. I was starting to run low on fuel, but it was not necessary to call it an emergency as I was over a street. I decided to lower ourselves in the street and land, which I did. I kept the balloon inflated, while the crew came up. We were discussing deflating the balloon in the street or walking it to the field that I wanted in the first place. As we were talking, I felt a slight breeze and I launched from the street and slowly rose above the houses. This time I stayed close, probably 5-10 ft above the houses, so as not to miss my field. Upon landing again, I started deflating my balloon. One of my crew was intercepted by a gentleman who started demanding what was going on. I observed this. As I approached, he asked me if I was the pilot? I said yes I was. Then he asked are you declaring an emergency? He had contacted the FAA, sheriff's department, channel, 2 channel 6, and channel 9. Because of coming over the house with the chimney at 3 1/2 ft, I could have crashed and burned the house down. I did not argue with the man. He informed me that he had video taped the whole thing and that I was completely irresponsible as a pilot to endanger the lives of the people in the house as well as my passenger by flying so low. The deputies arrived and both of us made statements. The deputies called the FAA and they said that this man was filing a formal complaint against me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is the chief pilot for a balloon company that provides rides and other services. He did not deflate in the street because there were sign posts and other obstructions that might have damaged his balloon. Everyone in the neighborhood was happy with the operation except 1 homeowner who called all of the authorities that he could think of. The FAA has promised the reporter a letter of investigation, but none has come after almost 7 weeks. The reporter says that the state of florida has adopted a strict interpretation of the FARS for the state law as regards balloons. The reporter has moved his operation farther away from any congested area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLEW LOW OVER SOME HOUSES TO GET TO A BETTER LNDG SITE.

Narrative: ON JUL/WED/93, I LAUNCHED MY HOT AIR BALLOON FROM A CHURCH ON HWY 535 IN LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL. THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. I FLEW WITH 4 PAX FOR ABOUT 45 MINS WITHOUT ANY PROBS. I WAS GOING TO LAND ON THE SHORE OF BIG SAND LAKE. I CAME DOWN LOW OVER THE HOUSES, PROBABLY 20-30 FT ABOVE THEM, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE FIELD BEHIND THEM. THE WIND SLOWLY DIED OFF AND I BECAME BECALMED OVER AN INTXN IN THE CTR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS STARTING TO RUN LOW ON FUEL, BUT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO CALL IT AN EMER AS I WAS OVER A STREET. I DECIDED TO LOWER OURSELVES IN THE STREET AND LAND, WHICH I DID. I KEPT THE BALLOON INFLATED, WHILE THE CREW CAME UP. WE WERE DISCUSSING DEFLATING THE BALLOON IN THE STREET OR WALKING IT TO THE FIELD THAT I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. AS WE WERE TALKING, I FELT A SLIGHT BREEZE AND I LAUNCHED FROM THE STREET AND SLOWLY ROSE ABOVE THE HOUSES. THIS TIME I STAYED CLOSE, PROBABLY 5-10 FT ABOVE THE HOUSES, SO AS NOT TO MISS MY FIELD. UPON LNDG AGAIN, I STARTED DEFLATING MY BALLOON. ONE OF MY CREW WAS INTERCEPTED BY A GENTLEMAN WHO STARTED DEMANDING WHAT WAS GOING ON. I OBSERVED THIS. AS I APCHED, HE ASKED ME IF I WAS THE PLT? I SAID YES I WAS. THEN HE ASKED ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER? HE HAD CONTACTED THE FAA, SHERIFF'S DEPT, CHANNEL, 2 CHANNEL 6, AND CHANNEL 9. BECAUSE OF COMING OVER THE HOUSE WITH THE CHIMNEY AT 3 1/2 FT, I COULD HAVE CRASHED AND BURNED THE HOUSE DOWN. I DID NOT ARGUE WITH THE MAN. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD VIDEO TAPED THE WHOLE THING AND THAT I WAS COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE AS A PLT TO ENDANGER THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE AS WELL AS MY PAX BY FLYING SO LOW. THE DEPUTIES ARRIVED AND BOTH OF US MADE STATEMENTS. THE DEPUTIES CALLED THE FAA AND THEY SAID THAT THIS MAN WAS FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS THE CHIEF PLT FOR A BALLOON COMPANY THAT PROVIDES RIDES AND OTHER SVCS. HE DID NOT DEFLATE IN THE STREET BECAUSE THERE WERE SIGN POSTS AND OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE DAMAGED HIS BALLOON. EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS HAPPY WITH THE OP EXCEPT 1 HOMEOWNER WHO CALLED ALL OF THE AUTHORITIES THAT HE COULD THINK OF. THE FAA HAS PROMISED THE RPTR A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION, BUT NONE HAS COME AFTER ALMOST 7 WKS. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS ADOPTED A STRICT INTERP OF THE FARS FOR THE STATE LAW AS REGARDS BALLOONS. THE RPTR HAS MOVED HIS OP FARTHER AWAY FROM ANY CONGESTED AREA.

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.