Narrative:

I was flying an AX10 balloon carrying 7 passenger. The winds were reported 6 KTS on the surface and 8 KTS at 3000 ft. Launch time XA00 am. I started the flight at about 1200 ft heading northeast to go over an amusement park and planned to use the surface winds to land in the field on the north side of the park property. Park property is all trees except for the attraction areas and parking lots. At about XA30 I had to switch to my last 2 fuel tanks and I was less than half way across park property. After checking the wind speeds from tree top to 1200 ft, I found the fastest wind at 800 ft 8.5 mph on my GPS. My assessment of the situation was: 1) the fuel remaining at the given speed would give me just enough to land off park property at the intended field with no fuel to spare, 2) the parking lot on the far end of park property is the only open area in my flight path, at 800 ft for a safe landing, 3) the winds at 100 ft will take me to a closer field but the wind is only 6 mph. I elected to land in the parking lot and risk jail for trespassing. As I approached the parking lot, the wind started taking me more to the right and away from the parking lot. With only the far right corner of the lot now in my path and power lines on downwind side of this lot, I decided to fly on. I now had 10 percent and 5 percent left in the last 2 tanks. I switched to the 2 empty tanks and bled them dry before using my last 15 percent. When I got down to 5 percent in my last tank and nothing but trees below, I leveled out at tree top level and told my passenger to get in the landing position. As the last tank went to vapor and still 100 yards from the clearing, I used what was left of the fuel for a controled landing in the trees. We had to walk out and the balloon had to be removed via helicopter but the passenger were ok. Short of launching elsewhere, I do not know how this could have been anticipated or avoided. This is a good example of why the minimum safe altitudes for fixed wing should not apply to balloons. If I had been at 500 ft when the last of my fuel went, there would have been no way to control my descent and there would have been injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a thunder and colt 180000 cubic ft balloon with 8 passenger. The envelope suffered a small tear from a dead branch. The local FAA was notified about the incident, and the reporter has not heard anything further from them. The passenger were all offered a 'free balloon ride for their inconvenience.' all passenger accepted on the condition that the reporter be their pilot. The amusement park, which owns several special shape balloons, is not friendly to balloons or other kinds of GA. It has offered to put any aeronaut into jail if he or she dares to land in their parking lot, even if the park is closed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED IN A TREE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN AX10 BALLOON CARRYING 7 PAX. THE WINDS WERE RPTED 6 KTS ON THE SURFACE AND 8 KTS AT 3000 FT. LAUNCH TIME XA00 AM. I STARTED THE FLT AT ABOUT 1200 FT HEADING NE TO GO OVER AN AMUSEMENT PARK AND PLANNED TO USE THE SURFACE WINDS TO LAND IN THE FIELD ON THE N SIDE OF THE PARK PROPERTY. PARK PROPERTY IS ALL TREES EXCEPT FOR THE ATTRACTION AREAS AND PARKING LOTS. AT ABOUT XA30 I HAD TO SWITCH TO MY LAST 2 FUEL TANKS AND I WAS LESS THAN HALF WAY ACROSS PARK PROPERTY. AFTER CHKING THE WIND SPDS FROM TREE TOP TO 1200 FT, I FOUND THE FASTEST WIND AT 800 FT 8.5 MPH ON MY GPS. MY ASSESSMENT OF THE SIT WAS: 1) THE FUEL REMAINING AT THE GIVEN SPD WOULD GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH TO LAND OFF PARK PROPERTY AT THE INTENDED FIELD WITH NO FUEL TO SPARE, 2) THE PARKING LOT ON THE FAR END OF PARK PROPERTY IS THE ONLY OPEN AREA IN MY FLT PATH, AT 800 FT FOR A SAFE LNDG, 3) THE WINDS AT 100 FT WILL TAKE ME TO A CLOSER FIELD BUT THE WIND IS ONLY 6 MPH. I ELECTED TO LAND IN THE PARKING LOT AND RISK JAIL FOR TRESPASSING. AS I APCHED THE PARKING LOT, THE WIND STARTED TAKING ME MORE TO THE R AND AWAY FROM THE PARKING LOT. WITH ONLY THE FAR R CORNER OF THE LOT NOW IN MY PATH AND PWR LINES ON DOWNWIND SIDE OF THIS LOT, I DECIDED TO FLY ON. I NOW HAD 10 PERCENT AND 5 PERCENT LEFT IN THE LAST 2 TANKS. I SWITCHED TO THE 2 EMPTY TANKS AND BLED THEM DRY BEFORE USING MY LAST 15 PERCENT. WHEN I GOT DOWN TO 5 PERCENT IN MY LAST TANK AND NOTHING BUT TREES BELOW, I LEVELED OUT AT TREE TOP LEVEL AND TOLD MY PAX TO GET IN THE LNDG POS. AS THE LAST TANK WENT TO VAPOR AND STILL 100 YARDS FROM THE CLRING, I USED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE FUEL FOR A CTLED LNDG IN THE TREES. WE HAD TO WALK OUT AND THE BALLOON HAD TO BE REMOVED VIA HELI BUT THE PAX WERE OK. SHORT OF LAUNCHING ELSEWHERE, I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED OR AVOIDED. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTS FOR FIXED WING SHOULD NOT APPLY TO BALLOONS. IF I HAD BEEN AT 500 FT WHEN THE LAST OF MY FUEL WENT, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO CTL MY DSCNT AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A THUNDER AND COLT 180000 CUBIC FT BALLOON WITH 8 PAX. THE ENVELOPE SUFFERED A SMALL TEAR FROM A DEAD BRANCH. THE LCL FAA WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE INCIDENT, AND THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FURTHER FROM THEM. THE PAX WERE ALL OFFERED A 'FREE BALLOON RIDE FOR THEIR INCONVENIENCE.' ALL PAX ACCEPTED ON THE CONDITION THAT THE RPTR BE THEIR PLT. THE AMUSEMENT PARK, WHICH OWNS SEVERAL SPECIAL SHAPE BALLOONS, IS NOT FRIENDLY TO BALLOONS OR OTHER KINDS OF GA. IT HAS OFFERED TO PUT ANY AERONAUT INTO JAIL IF HE OR SHE DARES TO LAND IN THEIR PARKING LOT, EVEN IF THE PARK IS CLOSED.

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.