A hot air balloon sightseeing pilot landed in a front yard.

Attributes
ACN	252099
Time
Date	199309
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n99
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fll
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	252099
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The ground wind was very gentle. What surprised me was the wind at 1500 ft was almost still. I was over a residential area when the first 1/2 hour was up. At that speed I would still be over the neighborhood at the 1 hour mark. I decided to land and let off my 4 passenger (all big) scheduled for the 1/2 hour only. With only 2 people left with me in the balloon, I could easily climb to 3000 or 4000 ft and get the stronger forecast winds aloft (would have used too much fuel carrying a full load to those altitudes). As there was virtually no wind, I made a gentle, safe landing in a woman's front yard next to the sidewalk. My chase crew was right there. We moved the inflated balloon to the empty street, discharged the 4 1/2 hour passenger and I flew the other 2 high enough for the wind to clear us from that area. The only thing wrong with my landing was that I was closer than 200 ft from the woman's house (FARS?) and the woman was angry, demanded we leave the property (we did), and called the police. My neighborhood landing was easy. 200 ft is not needed for a balloon landing. It was a safer option than burning all my fuel with unknown results. I could carry fewer people to start with, but that would severely cut my income. Also, you never know what the winds will do until you are up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has not heard from the FAA on this matter. He was called by the local police who wanted to hear his side of the story and pressed no charges. The reporter called the irate homeowner and tried to calm her down, probably to no avail. Other neighbors were asking the reporter to land on their property, but he was unable. The reporter has never been in this neighborhood before. He did fly away with his other passenger. He claims to making about 170 flts per yr. Almost all flightseeing. He is a full-time aeronaut.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON SIGHTSEEING PLT LANDED IN A FRONT YARD.

Narrative: THE GND WIND WAS VERY GENTLE. WHAT SURPRISED ME WAS THE WIND AT 1500 FT WAS ALMOST STILL. I WAS OVER A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN THE FIRST 1/2 HR WAS UP. AT THAT SPD I WOULD STILL BE OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE 1 HR MARK. I DECIDED TO LAND AND LET OFF MY 4 PAX (ALL BIG) SCHEDULED FOR THE 1/2 HR ONLY. WITH ONLY 2 PEOPLE LEFT WITH ME IN THE BALLOON, I COULD EASILY CLB TO 3000 OR 4000 FT AND GET THE STRONGER FORECAST WINDS ALOFT (WOULD HAVE USED TOO MUCH FUEL CARRYING A FULL LOAD TO THOSE ALTS). AS THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO WIND, I MADE A GENTLE, SAFE LNDG IN A WOMAN'S FRONT YARD NEXT TO THE SIDEWALK. MY CHASE CREW WAS RIGHT THERE. WE MOVED THE INFLATED BALLOON TO THE EMPTY STREET, DISCHARGED THE 4 1/2 HR PAX AND I FLEW THE OTHER 2 HIGH ENOUGH FOR THE WIND TO CLR US FROM THAT AREA. THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH MY LNDG WAS THAT I WAS CLOSER THAN 200 FT FROM THE WOMAN'S HOUSE (FARS?) AND THE WOMAN WAS ANGRY, DEMANDED WE LEAVE THE PROPERTY (WE DID), AND CALLED THE POLICE. MY NEIGHBORHOOD LNDG WAS EASY. 200 FT IS NOT NEEDED FOR A BALLOON LNDG. IT WAS A SAFER OPTION THAN BURNING ALL MY FUEL WITH UNKNOWN RESULTS. I COULD CARRY FEWER PEOPLE TO START WITH, BUT THAT WOULD SEVERELY CUT MY INCOME. ALSO, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE WINDS WILL DO UNTIL YOU ARE UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. HE WAS CALLED BY THE LCL POLICE WHO WANTED TO HEAR HIS SIDE OF THE STORY AND PRESSED NO CHARGES. THE RPTR CALLED THE IRATE HOMEOWNER AND TRIED TO CALM HER DOWN, PROBABLY TO NO AVAIL. OTHER NEIGHBORS WERE ASKING THE RPTR TO LAND ON THEIR PROPERTY, BUT HE WAS UNABLE. THE RPTR HAS NEVER BEEN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE. HE DID FLY AWAY WITH HIS OTHER PAX. HE CLAIMS TO MAKING ABOUT 170 FLTS PER YR. ALMOST ALL FLIGHTSEEING. HE IS A FULL-TIME AERONAUT.

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.