A hot air balloon pilot flew low over a city to avoid the nearby ocean.

Attributes
ACN	257634
Time
Date	199312
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 329 flight time type : 28
ASRS Report	257634
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I chose the wrong takeoff location for the hot air balloon. Even though winds were checked with FSS and small helium indicator balloon was used, surface winds, winds aloft and local area forecast did not show a wind shift. The winds were out of the nnw at takeoff. If altitude of 200 ft AGL or more was flown, the wind turned west and I was heading for the ocean. To prevent a water landing, I had to fly at 200 ft AGL approximately to catch a southerly wind to carry me away from the city of solana beach, ca. For a short time, I was under the 1000 ft limit over solana beach, ca. I did the safest judgement under the circumstances. To prevent this from happening in the future, it will be simply a matter of taking off at a location further inland.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLEW LOW OVER A CITY TO AVOID THE NEARBY OCEAN.

Narrative: I CHOSE THE WRONG TKOF LOCATION FOR THE HOT AIR BALLOON. EVEN THOUGH WINDS WERE CHKED WITH FSS AND SMALL HELIUM INDICATOR BALLOON WAS USED, SURFACE WINDS, WINDS ALOFT AND LCL AREA FORECAST DID NOT SHOW A WIND SHIFT. THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NNW AT TKOF. IF ALT OF 200 FT AGL OR MORE WAS FLOWN, THE WIND TURNED W AND I WAS HDG FOR THE OCEAN. TO PREVENT A WATER LNDG, I HAD TO FLY AT 200 FT AGL APPROX TO CATCH A SOUTHERLY WIND TO CARRY ME AWAY FROM THE CITY OF SOLANA BEACH, CA. FOR A SHORT TIME, I WAS UNDER THE 1000 FT LIMIT OVER SOLANA BEACH, CA. I DID THE SAFEST JUDGEMENT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, IT WILL BE SIMPLY A MATTER OF TAKING OFF AT A LOCATION FURTHER INLAND.

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.