A hot air balloon stumbled into shv's class D airspace.

Attributes
ACN	277230
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : shv
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : shv
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 53 flight time type : 53
ASRS Report	277230
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At approximately early XA05 am, jul/xx/94, I called dri for another WX briefing prior to departing for the launch site. I was told 'no flight precautions' and that WX at shreveport was '2000 scattered, 23000 scattered, and 10 mi visibility.' surface winds at shreveport were 160 at 5, barksdale 140 at 5, and winds aloft at 3000 ft were light and variable. After tracking a pibal whose course was from approximately 185 degrees, we chose to launch from a fish camp (in uncontrolled airspace) at wallace lake, with lsu-south as our landing site. I followed our pre-established routine of the first launched calling the nearest tower whose airspace we might be in or near and advising them of our flight, number of balloons, and proposed landing site. Shreveport- regional acknowledged my call and stated they were currently IFR. Although we had launched in and were flying in uncontrolled airspace under VFR conditions, I decided to land as soon as I safely could. As I flew over dense woods looking for a landing site, clouds began to blow in under me and I continued to climb to remain legal. I flew between 1000-1500 ft AGL where I was clear of the clouds and had unlimited visibility, and waited for a break in the clouds through which I could safely descend and land. During that time, in addition to talking with my ground crew and the other balloons, I monitored shreveport-regional and barksdale's towers. I also listened and looked for other aircraft. Eventually the clouds broke up and I descended to find that I'd been blown considerably off course (based on dri's reported wind direction, speed, our flight plan and the locations of the other balloons) far beyond our destination, and was east of barksdale. My passenger, being familiar with the base, radioed their tower immediately with our location, approximately 2-5 mi east of midfield. They stated they had us in sight, offered assistance if needed, and asked that we check with RAPCON after the flight. Shortly thereafter we landed safely just north of I-20.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON STUMBLED INTO SHV'S CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AT APPROX EARLY XA05 AM, JUL/XX/94, I CALLED DRI FOR ANOTHER WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR THE LAUNCH SITE. I WAS TOLD 'NO FLT PRECAUTIONS' AND THAT WX AT SHREVEPORT WAS '2000 SCATTERED, 23000 SCATTERED, AND 10 MI VISIBILITY.' SURFACE WINDS AT SHREVEPORT WERE 160 AT 5, BARKSDALE 140 AT 5, AND WINDS ALOFT AT 3000 FT WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. AFTER TRACKING A PIBAL WHOSE COURSE WAS FROM APPROX 185 DEGS, WE CHOSE TO LAUNCH FROM A FISH CAMP (IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE) AT WALLACE LAKE, WITH LSU-S AS OUR LNDG SITE. I FOLLOWED OUR PRE-ESTABLISHED ROUTINE OF THE FIRST LAUNCHED CALLING THE NEAREST TWR WHOSE AIRSPACE WE MIGHT BE IN OR NEAR AND ADVISING THEM OF OUR FLT, NUMBER OF BALLOONS, AND PROPOSED LNDG SITE. SHREVEPORT- REGIONAL ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL AND STATED THEY WERE CURRENTLY IFR. ALTHOUGH WE HAD LAUNCHED IN AND WERE FLYING IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE UNDER VFR CONDITIONS, I DECIDED TO LAND AS SOON AS I SAFELY COULD. AS I FLEW OVER DENSE WOODS LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE, CLOUDS BEGAN TO BLOW IN UNDER ME AND I CONTINUED TO CLB TO REMAIN LEGAL. I FLEW BTWN 1000-1500 FT AGL WHERE I WAS CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND HAD UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, AND WAITED FOR A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS THROUGH WHICH I COULD SAFELY DSND AND LAND. DURING THAT TIME, IN ADDITION TO TALKING WITH MY GND CREW AND THE OTHER BALLOONS, I MONITORED SHREVEPORT-REGIONAL AND BARKSDALE'S TWRS. I ALSO LISTENED AND LOOKED FOR OTHER ACFT. EVENTUALLY THE CLOUDS BROKE UP AND I DSNDED TO FIND THAT I'D BEEN BLOWN CONSIDERABLY OFF COURSE (BASED ON DRI'S RPTED WIND DIRECTION, SPD, OUR FLT PLAN AND THE LOCATIONS OF THE OTHER BALLOONS) FAR BEYOND OUR DEST, AND WAS E OF BARKSDALE. MY PAX, BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE BASE, RADIOED THEIR TWR IMMEDIATELY WITH OUR LOCATION, APPROX 2-5 MI E OF MIDFIELD. THEY STATED THEY HAD US IN SIGHT, OFFERED ASSISTANCE IF NEEDED, AND ASKED THAT WE CHK WITH RAPCON AFTER THE FLT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE LANDED SAFELY JUST NORTH OF I-20.

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.