Narrative:

I launched from the chatfield balloon launch site at XI10 on feb sun, 1994 carrying 2 passenger. 3 other balloons launched from the same site between XI00 and XI30. Winds were light and variable from the surface to about 200 ft AGL. I traveled east, then south, and then north. I climbed to about 1500 ft AGL and slowly tracked to the northeast. I left the park boundaries at the northeast corner of the park 30 mins into the flight. I descended to about 500 ft AGL in search of a landing site. Winds were becoming stronger out of the south and southwest. Landing sites were sparse and varying winds at lower elevations caused me to abort 3 landing attempts. Surface winds up to 10 KTS in some areas required I find a large landing site to prevent injury or damage. Because of these conditions and in the name of safety, I could not land my balloon until I got to the aurora campus in downtown denver, which is in the stapleton terminal control area. I was also flying between 100 and 200 ft AGL over populated areas in search of landing sites. At this altitude I would be able to quickly make a landing if a site became available. Also, being in the TCA, I felt remaining low would keep me from seriously interrupting stapleton air traffic, since I do not have commercial radio to be able to communicate with the tower. I landed at XJ50 in the railroad yard just north of the campus after an hour and 40 min flight. There was enough fuel left at landing where I could have flown for at least 1 more hour if necessary. No injuries were sustained by myself, my passenger, ground crew, or spectators. There was no property damage, and only some very slight damage to some leather lacing on the scuff leather around the bottom of the balloon basket. The landing was not unusual for the wind conditions we had. I listened to NOAA WX radio and to flight services balloon tape at XF30. I recorded the WX information in my flight manifest. Passenger and crew were briefed prior to launch. Supplemental information from acn 263386: some approachs were over houses. Approachs to landing sites over houses may have been perceived as low flying over a congested area. I had a safe stand up landing in an open field. If rules for hot air balloons over congested areas were lowered from 1000 ft AGL minimum to a 500 ft or 300 ft AGL, this might make landing in a congested area safer. I believe the rule for 1000 ft AGL minimum was designed for fixed wing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS FLEW VERY LOW OVER DENVER LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE. PROX OF OBSTRUCTION BUILDING.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED FROM THE CHATFIELD BALLOON LAUNCH SITE AT XI10 ON FEB SUN, 1994 CARRYING 2 PAX. 3 OTHER BALLOONS LAUNCHED FROM THE SAME SITE BTWN XI00 AND XI30. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE FROM THE SURFACE TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL. I TRAVELED E, THEN S, AND THEN N. I CLBED TO ABOUT 1500 FT AGL AND SLOWLY TRACKED TO THE NE. I LEFT THE PARK BOUNDARIES AT THE NE CORNER OF THE PARK 30 MINS INTO THE FLT. I DSNDED TO ABOUT 500 FT AGL IN SEARCH OF A LNDG SITE. WINDS WERE BECOMING STRONGER OUT OF THE S AND SW. LNDG SITES WERE SPARSE AND VARYING WINDS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS CAUSED ME TO ABORT 3 LNDG ATTEMPTS. SURFACE WINDS UP TO 10 KTS IN SOME AREAS REQUIRED I FIND A LARGE LNDG SITE TO PREVENT INJURY OR DAMAGE. BECAUSE OF THESE CONDITIONS AND IN THE NAME OF SAFETY, I COULD NOT LAND MY BALLOON UNTIL I GOT TO THE AURORA CAMPUS IN DOWNTOWN DENVER, WHICH IS IN THE STAPLETON TERMINAL CTL AREA. I WAS ALSO FLYING BTWN 100 AND 200 FT AGL OVER POPULATED AREAS IN SEARCH OF LNDG SITES. AT THIS ALT I WOULD BE ABLE TO QUICKLY MAKE A LNDG IF A SITE BECAME AVAILABLE. ALSO, BEING IN THE TCA, I FELT REMAINING LOW WOULD KEEP ME FROM SERIOUSLY INTERRUPTING STAPLETON AIR TFC, SINCE I DO NOT HAVE COMMERCIAL RADIO TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR. I LANDED AT XJ50 IN THE RAILROAD YARD JUST N OF THE CAMPUS AFTER AN HR AND 40 MIN FLT. THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL LEFT AT LNDG WHERE I COULD HAVE FLOWN FOR AT LEAST 1 MORE HR IF NECESSARY. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY MYSELF, MY PAX, GND CREW, OR SPECTATORS. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND ONLY SOME VERY SLIGHT DAMAGE TO SOME LEATHER LACING ON THE SCUFF LEATHER AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE BALLOON BASKET. THE LNDG WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS WE HAD. I LISTENED TO NOAA WX RADIO AND TO FLT SERVICES BALLOON TAPE AT XF30. I RECORDED THE WX INFO IN MY FLT MANIFEST. PAX AND CREW WERE BRIEFED PRIOR TO LAUNCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 263386: SOME APCHS WERE OVER HOUSES. APCHS TO LNDG SITES OVER HOUSES MAY HAVE BEEN PERCEIVED AS LOW FLYING OVER A CONGESTED AREA. I HAD A SAFE STAND UP LNDG IN AN OPEN FIELD. IF RULES FOR HOT AIR BALLOONS OVER CONGESTED AREAS WERE LOWERED FROM 1000 FT AGL MINIMUM TO A 500 FT OR 300 FT AGL, THIS MIGHT MAKE LNDG IN A CONGESTED AREA SAFER. I BELIEVE THE RULE FOR 1000 FT AGL MINIMUM WAS DESIGNED FOR FIXED WING ACFT.

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.