Narrative:

I obtained multiple WX briefings with a final radar summary 15 mins before launch. Convective activity was 100 mi southwest and stationary. Wind direction and speed was good for an advertising flight from the middle of an urban area (congested) to rural/suburbs. After launch, the wind direction shifted 10 degrees to the south which would eventually take me into agc airspace. I began making approachs to land. The 1ST was a ball field which I missed, the 2ND was a store parking lot, but light poles interfered. I was setting up on a school when the wind shifted 90 degrees and accelerated. I assumed I was in convective activity (my rate of climb/descent became erratic). I was driven away from the school athletic field and opted to land down a steep embankment (never a preferred option). There was no injury to myself, anyone on the ground nor to the aircraft or objects on the ground. The violation was flying below 1000 ft AGL and inappropriate landing site. Economic pressure to fly was the root of this incident. The conditions at launch were marginal and turned against me. Corrective actions: 1) fly more conservatively, 2) perhaps raise my 50 mi to thunderstorms rule to 100 mi, 3) just say no. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying solo in an avian ax-7 hot air balloon. His flight plan was to fly from a populated area out to a rural area. There was a wind shift. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this incident, but he had heard from them on another incident a few yrs ago.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT HOT AIR BALLOON FLT.

Narrative: I OBTAINED MULTIPLE WX BRIEFINGS WITH A FINAL RADAR SUMMARY 15 MINS BEFORE LAUNCH. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS 100 MI SW AND STATIONARY. WIND DIRECTION AND SPD WAS GOOD FOR AN ADVERTISING FLT FROM THE MIDDLE OF AN URBAN AREA (CONGESTED) TO RURAL/SUBURBS. AFTER LAUNCH, THE WIND DIRECTION SHIFTED 10 DEGS TO THE S WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE ME INTO AGC AIRSPACE. I BEGAN MAKING APCHS TO LAND. THE 1ST WAS A BALL FIELD WHICH I MISSED, THE 2ND WAS A STORE PARKING LOT, BUT LIGHT POLES INTERFERED. I WAS SETTING UP ON A SCHOOL WHEN THE WIND SHIFTED 90 DEGS AND ACCELERATED. I ASSUMED I WAS IN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY (MY RATE OF CLB/DSCNT BECAME ERRATIC). I WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL ATHLETIC FIELD AND OPTED TO LAND DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT (NEVER A PREFERRED OPTION). THERE WAS NO INJURY TO MYSELF, ANYONE ON THE GND NOR TO THE ACFT OR OBJECTS ON THE GND. THE VIOLATION WAS FLYING BELOW 1000 FT AGL AND INAPPROPRIATE LNDG SITE. ECONOMIC PRESSURE TO FLY WAS THE ROOT OF THIS INCIDENT. THE CONDITIONS AT LAUNCH WERE MARGINAL AND TURNED AGAINST ME. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) FLY MORE CONSERVATIVELY, 2) PERHAPS RAISE MY 50 MI TO TSTMS RULE TO 100 MI, 3) JUST SAY NO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING SOLO IN AN AVIAN AX-7 HOT AIR BALLOON. HIS FLT PLAN WAS TO FLY FROM A POPULATED AREA OUT TO A RURAL AREA. THERE WAS A WIND SHIFT. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT, BUT HE HAD HEARD FROM THEM ON ANOTHER INCIDENT A FEW YRS AGO.

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.