Off airport landing in a residential area.

Attributes
ACN	297174
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pbi
Operator	general aviation : corporate
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 : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	297174
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After a little more than 1 hour of flight time, a low level landing approach was begun and my ground crew sent by radio in advance to a large field at the west corner of wine country lane and linda vista avenue, approaching the field from an e- n-e to a west direction. Because it was necessary to climb slightly to safely fly over pwrlines on linda vista avenue, the winds changed to more of a south direction toward a grove of eucalyptus trees and the south end of the field. Due to the wind speed at that time (8-10 KTS), it would have been impossible to land safely in the field so I decided to stay low and fly at tree-top level over them and land where a balloon had already landed and what I thought to be a construction area. The winds began to calm back down over the trees (3-5 KTS) and shift again back more to the west. Because my ground crew was there waiting for me and I knew I could make a safer landing, I chose to land (with the aid of a drop rope) at the corner of a dead-end street and deflate the balloon into an unoccupied cul de sac. This was the safest place to land and was done without noise or incident. We took steps to make sure we did not block any residents that may or may not live there. This landing was made only because a safe landing could not be made in the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.

Narrative: AFTER A LITTLE MORE THAN 1 HR OF FLT TIME, A LOW LEVEL LNDG APCH WAS BEGUN AND MY GND CREW SENT BY RADIO IN ADVANCE TO A LARGE FIELD AT THE W CORNER OF WINE COUNTRY LANE AND LINDA VISTA AVENUE, APCHING THE FIELD FROM AN E- N-E TO A W DIRECTION. BECAUSE IT WAS NECESSARY TO CLB SLIGHTLY TO SAFELY FLY OVER PWRLINES ON LINDA VISTA AVENUE, THE WINDS CHANGED TO MORE OF A S DIRECTION TOWARD A GROVE OF EUCALYPTUS TREES AND THE S END OF THE FIELD. DUE TO THE WIND SPD AT THAT TIME (8-10 KTS), IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO LAND SAFELY IN THE FIELD SO I DECIDED TO STAY LOW AND FLY AT TREE-TOP LEVEL OVER THEM AND LAND WHERE A BALLOON HAD ALREADY LANDED AND WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A CONSTRUCTION AREA. THE WINDS BEGAN TO CALM BACK DOWN OVER THE TREES (3-5 KTS) AND SHIFT AGAIN BACK MORE TO THE W. BECAUSE MY GND CREW WAS THERE WAITING FOR ME AND I KNEW I COULD MAKE A SAFER LNDG, I CHOSE TO LAND (WITH THE AID OF A DROP ROPE) AT THE CORNER OF A DEAD-END STREET AND DEFLATE THE BALLOON INTO AN UNOCCUPIED CUL DE SAC. THIS WAS THE SAFEST PLACE TO LAND AND WAS DONE WITHOUT NOISE OR INCIDENT. WE TOOK STEPS TO MAKE SURE WE DID NOT BLOCK ANY RESIDENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LIVE THERE. THIS LNDG WAS MADE ONLY BECAUSE A SAFE LNDG COULD NOT BE MADE IN THE FIELD.

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.