Narrative:

Passenger flight planned for evening with 5 passenger in cameron N105 hot air balloon. Launch from passenger's residence in rural area north of sylvania, oh. Winds aloft forecast and area terminal forecasts predicted wind to be light and from northwest through northeast. 3 pibals released within 1 hour of launch all indicated south track which would keep us clear of populated areas. After launch, winds went to light and variable. Only steering was at low altitude below minimum far altitude for congested area which we were approaching. After trying altitudes up to 3000 ft AGL, no steering away from congested area discovered. I elected to descend to land with 30-40 mins fuel remaining. Several open landing sites were missed due to last minute wind shifts. Landing was eventually made in residential area with 5-10 mins fuel remaining. Drop line was lowered to ground crew in order to maneuver into very tight but adequate landing site. Normally my balloon flts are over rural areas. I agreed to a passenger request for a specific launch site which was very near a congested area but WX forecasts indicated flight away from congested area. Minimum altitude. Far's aggravated a deteriorating wind situation by not permitting a descent to more favorable winds. A safe gentle landing was made with numerous police and fire/rescue persons in attendance due to 911 call made by concerned resident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter's 'day job' is flying for a large united states air carrier, so he knows how important it is to maintain a low profile while flying balloons. He has heard nothing from the FAA on this matter. The police and firemen that were on the scene seemed to understand that there was no problem and probably did not report this to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW LEVEL CIVIL FLT BY A HOT AIR BALLOON.

Narrative: PAX FLT PLANNED FOR EVENING WITH 5 PAX IN CAMERON N105 HOT AIR BALLOON. LAUNCH FROM PAX'S RESIDENCE IN RURAL AREA N OF SYLVANIA, OH. WINDS ALOFT FORECAST AND AREA TERMINAL FORECASTS PREDICTED WIND TO BE LIGHT AND FROM NW THROUGH NE. 3 PIBALS RELEASED WITHIN 1 HR OF LAUNCH ALL INDICATED S TRACK WHICH WOULD KEEP US CLR OF POPULATED AREAS. AFTER LAUNCH, WINDS WENT TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE. ONLY STEERING WAS AT LOW ALT BELOW MINIMUM FAR ALT FOR CONGESTED AREA WHICH WE WERE APCHING. AFTER TRYING ALTS UP TO 3000 FT AGL, NO STEERING AWAY FROM CONGESTED AREA DISCOVERED. I ELECTED TO DSND TO LAND WITH 30-40 MINS FUEL REMAINING. SEVERAL OPEN LNDG SITES WERE MISSED DUE TO LAST MINUTE WIND SHIFTS. LNDG WAS EVENTUALLY MADE IN RESIDENTIAL AREA WITH 5-10 MINS FUEL REMAINING. DROP LINE WAS LOWERED TO GND CREW IN ORDER TO MANEUVER INTO VERY TIGHT BUT ADEQUATE LNDG SITE. NORMALLY MY BALLOON FLTS ARE OVER RURAL AREAS. I AGREED TO A PAX REQUEST FOR A SPECIFIC LAUNCH SITE WHICH WAS VERY NEAR A CONGESTED AREA BUT WX FORECASTS INDICATED FLT AWAY FROM CONGESTED AREA. MINIMUM ALT. FAR'S AGGRAVATED A DETERIORATING WIND SIT BY NOT PERMITTING A DSCNT TO MORE FAVORABLE WINDS. A SAFE GENTLE LNDG WAS MADE WITH NUMEROUS POLICE AND FIRE/RESCUE PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE DUE TO 911 CALL MADE BY CONCERNED RESIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR'S 'DAY JOB' IS FLYING FOR A LARGE UNITED STATES ACR, SO HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAINTAIN A LOW PROFILE WHILE FLYING BALLOONS. HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. THE POLICE AND FIREMEN THAT WERE ON THE SCENE SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS NO PROB AND PROBABLY DID NOT RPT THIS 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.