Narrative:

Took off from pou may/sun/95 after alerting tower at approximately XA00 am and traveled towards the city of poughkeepsie at a fairly slow speed. After ascending to 3000 ft and finding no significant steering or increase in wind speed, I made the decision to land short of the city because I had insufficient fuel on board to overfly it with any healthy reserves. After crossing route 113, we were looking for landing spots. No suitable spots were found. We were traveling approximately at walking speed. I descended to tree-top level and found a condominium complex clear of power lines upwind and downwind. We landed in a tree and held ourselves in place and asked for assistance from a spectator to catch up on the way down. He got scared and stood back. Instead of dropping over the roof, I decided to cut my losses and takeoff. I scratched a car roof and hit the chimney (approximately 2-3 mph). I pushed off the chimney to not hurt my basket and it fell over. No injuries or damage to balloon or basket, just excited spectators. Landed in a fenced-in tennis court a few blocks away. My craft is experienced, the area was densely populated, but it got a lot more densely populated. I contacted the police and filed a police report, then contacted the president of the association for the condominium and automatic owner and will properly compensate them for damages done. Cause: pilot error. Should have had more fuel and not take for granted a ground person will follow instructions or relay them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a home built 95000 cubic ft balloon that he built himself. His gondola is an automobile that he also built himself for self retrieve. There was no damage to the balloon in this incident. The chimney and automatic have been repaired at the reporter's expense. He has not heard from the FAA or the local law on this incident. He agrees that it is very difficult to expect an observer on the ground to give any useful help in a situation such as this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON BROKE A CHIMNEY AND SCRATCHED AN AUTO ROOF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM POU MAY/SUN/95 AFTER ALERTING TWR AT APPROX XA00 AM AND TRAVELED TOWARDS THE CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE AT A FAIRLY SLOW SPD. AFTER ASCENDING TO 3000 FT AND FINDING NO SIGNIFICANT STEERING OR INCREASE IN WIND SPD, I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND SHORT OF THE CITY BECAUSE I HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD TO OVERFLY IT WITH ANY HEALTHY RESERVES. AFTER XING RTE 113, WE WERE LOOKING FOR LNDG SPOTS. NO SUITABLE SPOTS WERE FOUND. WE WERE TRAVELING APPROX AT WALKING SPD. I DSNDED TO TREE-TOP LEVEL AND FOUND A CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX CLR OF PWR LINES UPWIND AND DOWNWIND. WE LANDED IN A TREE AND HELD OURSELVES IN PLACE AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM A SPECTATOR TO CATCH UP ON THE WAY DOWN. HE GOT SCARED AND STOOD BACK. INSTEAD OF DROPPING OVER THE ROOF, I DECIDED TO CUT MY LOSSES AND TKOF. I SCRATCHED A CAR ROOF AND HIT THE CHIMNEY (APPROX 2-3 MPH). I PUSHED OFF THE CHIMNEY TO NOT HURT MY BASKET AND IT FELL OVER. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO BALLOON OR BASKET, JUST EXCITED SPECTATORS. LANDED IN A FENCED-IN TENNIS COURT A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. MY CRAFT IS EXPERIENCED, THE AREA WAS DENSELY POPULATED, BUT IT GOT A LOT MORE DENSELY POPULATED. I CONTACTED THE POLICE AND FILED A POLICE RPT, THEN CONTACTED THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONDOMINIUM AND AUTO OWNER AND WILL PROPERLY COMPENSATE THEM FOR DAMAGES DONE. CAUSE: PLT ERROR. SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE FUEL AND NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED A GND PERSON WILL FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OR RELAY THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A HOME BUILT 95000 CUBIC FT BALLOON THAT HE BUILT HIMSELF. HIS GONDOLA IS AN AUTOMOBILE THAT HE ALSO BUILT HIMSELF FOR SELF RETRIEVE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON IN THIS INCIDENT. THE CHIMNEY AND AUTO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AT THE RPTR'S EXPENSE. HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA OR THE LCL LAW ON THIS INCIDENT. HE AGREES THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EXPECT AN OBSERVER ON THE GND TO GIVE ANY USEFUL HELP IN A SIT SUCH AS THIS.

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.