Narrative:

1) entered nashua, nh, airport area/passed through landing pattern without benefit of 2-WAY radio contact with ATC/tower. Preflight WX information 2A) FSS briefing night before and morning of flight wind was predicted/forecast to be less than 10 on surface and not indirection of nashua airport. 2B) pilot balloon (helium balloon approximately 9 inches) released at launch site (pepperell, ma) is 15 min before flight. Directions was consistent and away from nashua airport, southwest wind. Planned flight to hollis center. 3) no hand-held radio on board during this flight. Had been experiencing rapid discharge of radio in preview flts, therefore planned flts so no radio would be necessary. 4) immediately after takeoff, direction of travel was different than 'P balance' -- traveled, in general direction of nashua airport, south wind. 5) attempted to find wind direction away from nashua airport, however these directions were toward city of nashua. Variable winds prevailed during flight. 6) attempted to plan for early landing to avoid entering airport air space, class D. However the variable winds, that were not consistent in direction, did not allow for an early landing. 7) as the balloon entered the airspace, class D, I attempted to continue to find a wind direction that would allow me to find a landing field prior to entering the landing pattern. This was not achieved and I then concentrated my attention on looking out for other aircraft. Three were none observed during the remainder of the flight. 8) to prevent recurrence: a) take hand-held radio on all flts replace radio/batteries. B) provide ground/chase crew with phone number of tower, so at least some form of communication takes place so tower is aware of balloon flight in area. C) phone tower before flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON FLEW THROUGH CLASS 'D' AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: 1) ENTERED NASHUA, NH, ARPT AREA/PASSED THROUGH LNDG PATTERN WITHOUT BENEFIT OF 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC/TWR. PREFLT WX INFO 2A) FSS BRIEFING NIGHT BEFORE AND MORNING OF FLT WIND WAS PREDICTED/FORECAST TO BE LESS THAN 10 ON SURFACE AND NOT INDIRECTION OF NASHUA ARPT. 2B) PLT BALLOON (HELIUM BALLOON APPROX 9 INCHES) RELEASED AT LAUNCH SITE (PEPPERELL, MA) IS 15 MIN BEFORE FLT. DIRECTIONS WAS CONSISTENT AND AWAY FROM NASHUA ARPT, SW WIND. PLANNED FLT TO HOLLIS CTR. 3) NO HAND-HELD RADIO ON BOARD DURING THIS FLT. HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING RAPID DISCHARGE OF RADIO IN PREVIEW FLTS, THEREFORE PLANNED FLTS SO NO RADIO WOULD BE NECESSARY. 4) IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WAS DIFFERENT THAN 'P BAL' -- TRAVELED, IN GENERAL DIRECTION OF NASHUA ARPT, S WIND. 5) ATTEMPTED TO FIND WIND DIRECTION AWAY FROM NASHUA ARPT, HOWEVER THESE DIRECTIONS WERE TOWARD CITY OF NASHUA. VARIABLE WINDS PREVAILED DURING FLT. 6) ATTEMPTED TO PLAN FOR EARLY LNDG TO AVOID ENTERING ARPT AIR SPACE, CLASS D. HOWEVER THE VARIABLE WINDS, THAT WERE NOT CONSISTENT IN DIRECTION, DID NOT ALLOW FOR AN EARLY LNDG. 7) AS THE BALLOON ENTERED THE AIRSPACE, CLASS D, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO FIND A WIND DIRECTION THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO FIND A LNDG FIELD PRIOR TO ENTERING THE LNDG PATTERN. THIS WAS NOT ACHIEVED AND I THEN CONCENTRATED MY ATTN ON LOOKING OUT FOR OTHER ACFT. THREE WERE NONE OBSERVED DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. 8) TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: A) TAKE HAND-HELD RADIO ON ALL FLTS REPLACE RADIO/BATTERIES. B) PROVIDE GND/CHASE CREW WITH PHONE NUMBER OF TWR, SO AT LEAST SOME FORM OF COM TAKES PLACE SO TWR IS AWARE OF BALLOON FLT IN AREA. C) PHONE TWR BEFORE FLT.

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.