Narrative:

We launched a hot air balloon from a field near harrisonburg, va, after an uneventful inflation. There was a slight fluttering of treetops but no wind that impeded or affected the inflation or launch. We flew at about 1000 ft AGL until we were out of town, then at about 400-500 ft AGL over a rural area, heading northeast. After flying approximately 35-40 min, we were advised by crew in the chase vehicle that the wind was picking up on the surface. I began looking for a place to land. I was advised by a crew member, that the virginia corrections department had a prison facility nearby and we could see it to the right of us below, and slightly ahead. So I decided to land in the hayfield directly in front of us where I had room to do a drag landing. We accomplished a 'drag landing' safely and without damage to aircraft, persons or property, but we were met by 2 corrections department employees informing us that we had landed on prison property, linville, va, camp #8! The field we landed in was not marked as belonging to the corrections department. The aeronautical map had no indicator, and the topographical map (used by the chase crew) made no mention of it either. From the air it looked like the prison compound was well to the right of us, across a road that we thought was the boundary for the prison. We were informed that no aircraft could land on prison property without prior authorization and that we would be 'reported' to the FAA! I presented my identify and pilot certificate, after which we were allowed to pack up the balloon and leave! (After realizing that we needed to land because of increasing winds, and that we were not aware of being on their property, the corrections officers were very helpful in getting us packed up and off of the unauthorized area.) (they need better markers.) we did make a red zone on our topographical map, so that this does not re-occur! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has not heard from the FAA on this incident. She believes that the prison officials made an internal report only with no report to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED ON PRISON PROPERTY.

Narrative: WE LAUNCHED A HOT AIR BALLOON FROM A FIELD NEAR HARRISONBURG, VA, AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL INFLATION. THERE WAS A SLIGHT FLUTTERING OF TREETOPS BUT NO WIND THAT IMPEDED OR AFFECTED THE INFLATION OR LAUNCH. WE FLEW AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF TOWN, THEN AT ABOUT 400-500 FT AGL OVER A RURAL AREA, HDG NE. AFTER FLYING APPROX 35-40 MIN, WE WERE ADVISED BY CREW IN THE CHASE VEHICLE THAT THE WIND WAS PICKING UP ON THE SURFACE. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I WAS ADVISED BY A CREW MEMBER, THAT THE VIRGINIA CORRECTIONS DEPT HAD A PRISON FACILITY NEARBY AND WE COULD SEE IT TO THE R OF US BELOW, AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD. SO I DECIDED TO LAND IN THE HAYFIELD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US WHERE I HAD ROOM TO DO A DRAG LNDG. WE ACCOMPLISHED A 'DRAG LNDG' SAFELY AND WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT, PERSONS OR PROPERTY, BUT WE WERE MET BY 2 CORRECTIONS DEPT EMPLOYEES INFORMING US THAT WE HAD LANDED ON PRISON PROPERTY, LINVILLE, VA, CAMP #8! THE FIELD WE LANDED IN WAS NOT MARKED AS BELONGING TO THE CORRECTIONS DEPT. THE AERONAUTICAL MAP HAD NO INDICATOR, AND THE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP (USED BY THE CHASE CREW) MADE NO MENTION OF IT EITHER. FROM THE AIR IT LOOKED LIKE THE PRISON COMPOUND WAS WELL TO THE R OF US, ACROSS A ROAD THAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE BOUNDARY FOR THE PRISON. WE WERE INFORMED THAT NO ACFT COULD LAND ON PRISON PROPERTY WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION AND THAT WE WOULD BE 'RPTED' TO THE FAA! I PRESENTED MY IDENT AND PLT CERTIFICATE, AFTER WHICH WE WERE ALLOWED TO PACK UP THE BALLOON AND LEAVE! (AFTER REALIZING THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND BECAUSE OF INCREASING WINDS, AND THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF BEING ON THEIR PROPERTY, THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS WERE VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING US PACKED UP AND OFF OF THE UNAUTH AREA.) (THEY NEED BETTER MARKERS.) WE DID MAKE A RED ZONE ON OUR TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP, SO THAT THIS DOES NOT RE-OCCUR! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE PRISON OFFICIALS MADE AN INTERNAL RPT ONLY WITH NO RPT TO THE FAA.

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.