Narrative:

This flight was planned as a high altitude, long distance balloon flight originating in franklin, oh. I obtained WX information from duats. Forecast called for clear skies, light surface winds from the west, and winds at cruising altitudes averaging 300 degrees at 30-50 KTS. Projected flight path was towards portsmouth, oh, and through R-5503. Sectional chart noted on this day R-5503 was active by NOTAM only. A call to dayton FSS at approximately xfool confirmed no active NOTAM's for R5503. I lifted off at XF55L and, contacted dayton approach for an update on R-5503. Dayton informed me at this time that R-5503 was scheduled to go active at XI30L. I leveled off at 11500 ft and tracked 120 degrees at about 50 KTS. I made intermittent contact with both cincinnati approach and ZID. Radio reception was poor. With the aid of another aircraft acting as relay, I confirmed the R-5503 active time at (XI30L) with ZID. Once inside R-5503, radio contact with ATC was nonexistent. XI20, I began descent from 13500.ft at XI25L a 4 ship formation of F-16's flew within 1/2 mi of my position at slightly above my altitude as I was passing 10000 ft MSL. By XI30L I was below 4000 ft MSL over the town of waverly, oh. The floor of R-5503 is 4500 ft MSL. I continued flight for approximately 1 1/2 hours and landed uneventfully 6 mi east of waverly. Upon landing I was met and briefly detained by law enforcement personnel who said the FAA would like a word with me. When I contacted the cincinnati FSDO office, I was informed that R-5503 had been notamed active at XI00L, a full 30 mins earlier than the time I had received. The close approach of the f- 16's was intentional for identify purposes. The incident is currently under investigation. I have made some preliminary queries already and have been told the following: while R-5503 can be scheduled with as little as 2 hours notice, the ZID military coordinator claims that the R-5503 NOTAM was transmitted the evening before my flight. Also, while the active time was XI00L, the fighters were not scheduled to arrive until XI30L. I think the high potential for mishap is obvious. I am concerned that I not only received an incorrect FSS briefing, but I was also given an incorrect active time by 2 ATC agencies. Please note that, after my FSS briefing that indicated no military activity in R-5503, I was under no obligation to contact ATC during flight. It is only because I am also a military pilot with some familiarity with R-5503 procedure that I thought it better to contact ATC in the air. It is apparent to me that this situation could easily be duplicated (which, in fact, it was, by another aircraft that day). Unless ATC implements better notification procedures, I do not feel that they can ensure that R-5503 is free of non- participating VFR aircraft when it is activated on short notice. To prevent a similar incident, I recommend: activation procedures be changed to require at least 4 hours prior notice by NOTAM. Restrict use of R-5503 to above FL180 if proper notice cannot be given. Inform all regular users of R-5503 of this potential hazard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON WAS INTERCEPTED BY F-16 FIGHTING FALCONS! UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE PROX OF RESTR AREA. PLT PLANING PREFLT.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS PLANNED AS A HIGH ALT, LONG DISTANCE BALLOON FLT ORIGINATING IN FRANKLIN, OH. I OBTAINED WX INFO FROM DUATS. FORECAST CALLED FOR CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT SURFACE WINDS FROM THE W, AND WINDS AT CRUISING ALTS AVERAGING 300 DEGS AT 30-50 KTS. PROJECTED FLT PATH WAS TOWARDS PORTSMOUTH, OH, AND THROUGH R-5503. SECTIONAL CHART NOTED ON THIS DAY R-5503 WAS ACTIVE BY NOTAM ONLY. A CALL TO DAYTON FSS AT APPROX XFOOL CONFIRMED NO ACTIVE NOTAM'S FOR R5503. I LIFTED OFF AT XF55L AND, CONTACTED DAYTON APCH FOR AN UPDATE ON R-5503. DAYTON INFORMED ME AT THIS TIME THAT R-5503 WAS SCHEDULED TO GO ACTIVE AT XI30L. I LEVELED OFF AT 11500 FT AND TRACKED 120 DEGS AT ABOUT 50 KTS. I MADE INTERMITTENT CONTACT WITH BOTH CINCINNATI APCH AND ZID. RADIO RECEPTION WAS POOR. WITH THE AID OF ANOTHER ACFT ACTING AS RELAY, I CONFIRMED THE R-5503 ACTIVE TIME AT (XI30L) WITH ZID. ONCE INSIDE R-5503, RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC WAS NONEXISTENT. XI20, I BEGAN DSCNT FROM 13500.FT AT XI25L A 4 SHIP FORMATION OF F-16'S FLEW WITHIN 1/2 MI OF MY POS AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE MY ALT AS I WAS PASSING 10000 FT MSL. BY XI30L I WAS BELOW 4000 FT MSL OVER THE TOWN OF WAVERLY, OH. THE FLOOR OF R-5503 IS 4500 FT MSL. I CONTINUED FLT FOR APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY 6 MI E OF WAVERLY. UPON LNDG I WAS MET AND BRIEFLY DETAINED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WHO SAID THE FAA WOULD LIKE A WORD WITH ME. WHEN I CONTACTED THE CINCINNATI FSDO OFFICE, I WAS INFORMED THAT R-5503 HAD BEEN NOTAMED ACTIVE AT XI00L, A FULL 30 MINS EARLIER THAN THE TIME I HAD RECEIVED. THE CLOSE APCH OF THE F- 16'S WAS INTENTIONAL FOR IDENT PURPOSES. THE INCIDENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. I HAVE MADE SOME PRELIMINARY QUERIES ALREADY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THE FOLLOWING: WHILE R-5503 CAN BE SCHEDULED WITH AS LITTLE AS 2 HRS NOTICE, THE ZID MIL COORDINATOR CLAIMS THAT THE R-5503 NOTAM WAS XMITTED THE EVENING BEFORE MY FLT. ALSO, WHILE THE ACTIVE TIME WAS XI00L, THE FIGHTERS WERE NOT SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE UNTIL XI30L. I THINK THE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR MISHAP IS OBVIOUS. I AM CONCERNED THAT I NOT ONLY RECEIVED AN INCORRECT FSS BRIEFING, BUT I WAS ALSO GIVEN AN INCORRECT ACTIVE TIME BY 2 ATC AGENCIES. PLEASE NOTE THAT, AFTER MY FSS BRIEFING THAT INDICATED NO MIL ACTIVITY IN R-5503, I WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO CONTACT ATC DURING FLT. IT IS ONLY BECAUSE I AM ALSO A MIL PLT WITH SOME FAMILIARITY WITH R-5503 PROC THAT I THOUGHT IT BETTER TO CONTACT ATC IN THE AIR. IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT THIS SIT COULD EASILY BE DUPLICATED (WHICH, IN FACT, IT WAS, BY ANOTHER ACFT THAT DAY). UNLESS ATC IMPLEMENTS BETTER NOTIFICATION PROCS, I DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THAT R-5503 IS FREE OF NON- PARTICIPATING VFR ACFT WHEN IT IS ACTIVATED ON SHORT NOTICE. TO PREVENT A SIMILAR INCIDENT, I RECOMMEND: ACTIVATION PROCS BE CHANGED TO REQUIRE AT LEAST 4 HRS PRIOR NOTICE BY NOTAM. RESTRICT USE OF R-5503 TO ABOVE FL180 IF PROPER NOTICE CANNOT BE GIVEN. INFORM ALL REGULAR USERS OF R-5503 OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD.

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.