A hot air balloon landed in a tight construction area.

Attributes
ACN	273167
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 241 flight time type : 12
ASRS Report	276167
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The winds were reported calm on the surface and 9900 at 3000 ft. With this condition, there is a chance the winds will die out about 1 1/2-2 hours after sunrise. We got a late start, launch time XA30 am. I started the flight at about 500 ft heading west to go over disney and planned to use the southerly winds at 1200 ft to land in the fields south of the disney property. At about XB00, I climbed to 1200 ft and started my approach to land. About 15 min at altitude, the southerly winds just stopped. I tried to climb and descend to find some wind to no avail. My assessment of the situation was: 1) the winds on the surface are still moving toward a construction site in disney: 2) the winds at altitude may start to back up into the area of nothing but trees over disney property: 3) I had about 45 min of fuel left. I took the construction site. On my approach to land, there was a crane with 180 ft of boom. The operator was out of the crane watching me and the crane was not running. It was either fly above the crane and drop down fast and chance a hard landing or below the boom ht for a soft landing. I chose the latter. I never came within 75 ft of the crane and had a soft landing in the construction parking lot. The wind speed during my approach was less than 1 KT.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED IN A TIGHT CONSTRUCTION AREA.

Narrative: THE WINDS WERE RPTED CALM ON THE SURFACE AND 9900 AT 3000 FT. WITH THIS CONDITION, THERE IS A CHANCE THE WINDS WILL DIE OUT ABOUT 1 1/2-2 HRS AFTER SUNRISE. WE GOT A LATE START, LAUNCH TIME XA30 AM. I STARTED THE FLT AT ABOUT 500 FT HDG W TO GO OVER DISNEY AND PLANNED TO USE THE SOUTHERLY WINDS AT 1200 FT TO LAND IN THE FIELDS S OF THE DISNEY PROPERTY. AT ABOUT XB00, I CLBED TO 1200 FT AND STARTED MY APCH TO LAND. ABOUT 15 MIN AT ALT, THE SOUTHERLY WINDS JUST STOPPED. I TRIED TO CLB AND DSND TO FIND SOME WIND TO NO AVAIL. MY ASSESSMENT OF THE SIT WAS: 1) THE WINDS ON THE SURFACE ARE STILL MOVING TOWARD A CONSTRUCTION SITE IN DISNEY: 2) THE WINDS AT ALT MAY START TO BACK UP INTO THE AREA OF NOTHING BUT TREES OVER DISNEY PROPERTY: 3) I HAD ABOUT 45 MIN OF FUEL LEFT. I TOOK THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. ON MY APCH TO LAND, THERE WAS A CRANE WITH 180 FT OF BOOM. THE OPERATOR WAS OUT OF THE CRANE WATCHING ME AND THE CRANE WAS NOT RUNNING. IT WAS EITHER FLY ABOVE THE CRANE AND DROP DOWN FAST AND CHANCE A HARD LNDG OR BELOW THE BOOM HT FOR A SOFT LNDG. I CHOSE THE LATTER. I NEVER CAME WITHIN 75 FT OF THE CRANE AND HAD A SOFT LNDG IN THE CONSTRUCTION PARKING LOT. THE WIND SPD DURING MY APCH WAS LESS THAN 1 KT.

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.