Narrative:

On jan/sun/94 myself and 2 passenger began a balloon flight from middletown, oh, to hillsboro at XH10 am local. Prior to this flight, I made 2 calls to dayton FSS: 1 on sat at xvpm and at xwpm and the next call within 2 hours of flight on jan/sun/94. Briefings were complete and I was instructed that restr airspace 5503 was inactive each time. After the flight, I learned that the airspace was active after XI30 am by another pilot who was also flying a balloon that morning. I began my descent from 11500 ft prior to XI30 am and I believe I was below the 4500 ft ceiling of the restr space prior to this time. 2 military aircraft flew by during our descent. I landed north of hillsboro, oh, at XI05 after a 1 hour 55 min flight. My concern is that, although I called FSS, I received inaccurate information which may have caused myself to violate airspace restrs placing myself, passenger and other aircraft in jeopardy. I was fully aware of the airspace and did make appropriate attempts to prepare for my flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: this reporter and the pilot of acn 260917 were flying independently, but were both caught in the same trap. This reporter felt that the FSS person did not know where to look for NOTAMS regarding R5503. The reporter believes that the ohio ANG does not fully comply with the rules that allow the airspace to be restr for their use by not arranging for this ahead of time with FSS. This reporter has not heard from the FAA regarding this incident, but he knows that the other pilot has been contacted. The reporter was flying a cameron O-84 balloon. The intercept aircraft were ohio ANG F-16S. The balloon was outgunned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ON JAN/SUN/94 MYSELF AND 2 PAX BEGAN A BALLOON FLT FROM MIDDLETOWN, OH, TO HILLSBORO AT XH10 AM LCL. PRIOR TO THIS FLT, I MADE 2 CALLS TO DAYTON FSS: 1 ON SAT AT XVPM AND AT XWPM AND THE NEXT CALL WITHIN 2 HRS OF FLT ON JAN/SUN/94. BRIEFINGS WERE COMPLETE AND I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT RESTR AIRSPACE 5503 WAS INACTIVE EACH TIME. AFTER THE FLT, I LEARNED THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS ACTIVE AFTER XI30 AM BY ANOTHER PLT WHO WAS ALSO FLYING A BALLOON THAT MORNING. I BEGAN MY DSCNT FROM 11500 FT PRIOR TO XI30 AM AND I BELIEVE I WAS BELOW THE 4500 FT CEILING OF THE RESTR SPACE PRIOR TO THIS TIME. 2 MIL ACFT FLEW BY DURING OUR DSCNT. I LANDED N OF HILLSBORO, OH, AT XI05 AFTER A 1 HR 55 MIN FLT. MY CONCERN IS THAT, ALTHOUGH I CALLED FSS, I RECEIVED INACCURATE INFO WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED MYSELF TO VIOLATE AIRSPACE RESTRS PLACING MYSELF, PAX AND OTHER ACFT IN JEOPARDY. I WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE AIRSPACE AND DID MAKE APPROPRIATE ATTEMPTS TO PREPARE FOR MY FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THIS RPTR AND THE PLT OF ACN 260917 WERE FLYING INDEPENDENTLY, BUT WERE BOTH CAUGHT IN THE SAME TRAP. THIS RPTR FELT THAT THE FSS PERSON DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR NOTAMS REGARDING R5503. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE OHIO ANG DOES NOT FULLY COMPLY WITH THE RULES THAT ALLOW THE AIRSPACE TO BE RESTR FOR THEIR USE BY NOT ARRANGING FOR THIS AHEAD OF TIME WITH FSS. THIS RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA REGARDING THIS INCIDENT, BUT HE KNOWS THAT THE OTHER PLT HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CAMERON O-84 BALLOON. THE INTERCEPT ACFT WERE OHIO ANG F-16S. THE BALLOON WAS OUTGUNNED.

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.