A hot air balloon 'crashed' in a lake.

Attributes
ACN	272155
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 0g7
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 145 flight time type : 145
ASRS Report	272155
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

There was absolutely no problem. The local news media reported falsely and interested FAA and I gave them an incident report. I was flying over the lake, winds went calm, I landed on the lake, talked with an acquaintance and we decided to put the balloon in the boat. I elevated the basket, he slipped under with the boat, and I sat it down in the boat and collapsed the envelope. Another boat helped carry the envelope and we all went to shore. Nothing was unexpected. No injuries, no damage, no complaints -- just inadequate news coverage. Contributing factors: calm winds. Perceptions: misjudged winds, calm winds were not forecasted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting pilot landed his balloon on a boat to discharge passenger. He then climbed to 6000 ft where he was unable to find any wind. He came back down to the lake and arranged to be retrieved by the first boat plus another passing by. One of the boats reported to the local FAA that the balloon had 'crashed' in the lake. The reporter said that this incident made the front page of the local newspaper. The reporter was interviewed by the local FAA who was quite amused by the whole situation. The reporter thinks that the next time he will have the boat carry him to the shore while still inflated, but he will try to avoid a 'next time.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON 'CRASHED' IN A LAKE.

Narrative: THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PROB. THE LCL NEWS MEDIA RPTED FALSELY AND INTERESTED FAA AND I GAVE THEM AN INCIDENT RPT. I WAS FLYING OVER THE LAKE, WINDS WENT CALM, I LANDED ON THE LAKE, TALKED WITH AN ACQUAINTANCE AND WE DECIDED TO PUT THE BALLOON IN THE BOAT. I ELEVATED THE BASKET, HE SLIPPED UNDER WITH THE BOAT, AND I SAT IT DOWN IN THE BOAT AND COLLAPSED THE ENVELOPE. ANOTHER BOAT HELPED CARRY THE ENVELOPE AND WE ALL WENT TO SHORE. NOTHING WAS UNEXPECTED. NO INJURIES, NO DAMAGE, NO COMPLAINTS -- JUST INADEQUATE NEWS COVERAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CALM WINDS. PERCEPTIONS: MISJUDGED WINDS, CALM WINDS WERE NOT FORECASTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING PLT LANDED HIS BALLOON ON A BOAT TO DISCHARGE PAX. HE THEN CLBED TO 6000 FT WHERE HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY WIND. HE CAME BACK DOWN TO THE LAKE AND ARRANGED TO BE RETRIEVED BY THE FIRST BOAT PLUS ANOTHER PASSING BY. ONE OF THE BOATS RPTED TO THE LCL FAA THAT THE BALLOON HAD 'CRASHED' IN THE LAKE. THE RPTR SAID THAT THIS INCIDENT MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LCL NEWSPAPER. THE RPTR WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE LCL FAA WHO WAS QUITE AMUSED BY THE WHOLE SIT. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE NEXT TIME HE WILL HAVE THE BOAT CARRY HIM TO THE SHORE WHILE STILL INFLATED, BUT HE WILL TRY TO AVOID A 'NEXT TIME.'

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.