Narrative:

Planned evening flight over downtown pittsburg at 1000 ft AGL. Inflation and preflight were normal. Launched and established approximately 400 FPM climb. At approximately 500 ft AGL, climb was arrested and could not be re-established. Descent rate increased during maximum effort to re-establish climb. Emergency landing was performed on warehouse roof to avoid approaching power lines. Operation of the balloon system was normal, fuel pressure, envelope temperature, blast valve operation, vertical valve operation all appeared normal. The wind was not noticeably turbulent. Winds were consistent with area reports and forecasts. Afternoon thermal activity had subsided before launch. The envelope was heated greater than 40 degrees F above equilibrium in the attempt to reestablish climb. There were no injuries, damage to property or damage to the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a firefly ax-7 advertising a nationally distributed beer. He usually flies a raven and admits that he wasn't very familiar with the firefly. He also admits that he had not properly preflted his fuel system. His fuel tank quantities were low and consequently so was the fuel pressure. The reporter was flying solo. He states that the pyrometer tends to spike 20 degrees when heat is added and he did not know the actual temperature in the envelope. He landed on the roof as he did not understand why the balloon was performing so poorly and he was in a congested area with several power lines about. The balloon was disassembled on the roof and removed via ladders. The reporter has not heard from the FAA or any other body about this, including the building owner. The reporter admits taking the balloon to a repair station to try to find the reason for the lack of performance. This is where he learned of the low fuel level and learned of the difference in operation between the firefly and the raven. The reporter stated 'there were no meteorological reasons for this incident.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON MADE AN EMER LNDG ON A WAREHOUSE ROOF.

Narrative: PLANNED EVENING FLT OVER DOWNTOWN PITTSBURG AT 1000 FT AGL. INFLATION AND PREFLT WERE NORMAL. LAUNCHED AND ESTABLISHED APPROX 400 FPM CLB. AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, CLB WAS ARRESTED AND COULD NOT BE RE-ESTABLISHED. DSCNT RATE INCREASED DURING MAX EFFORT TO RE-ESTABLISH CLB. EMER LNDG WAS PERFORMED ON WAREHOUSE ROOF TO AVOID APCHING PWR LINES. OP OF THE BALLOON SYS WAS NORMAL, FUEL PRESSURE, ENVELOPE TEMP, BLAST VALVE OP, VERT VALVE OP ALL APPEARED NORMAL. THE WIND WAS NOT NOTICEABLY TURBULENT. WINDS WERE CONSISTENT WITH AREA RPTS AND FORECASTS. AFTERNOON THERMAL ACTIVITY HAD SUBSIDED BEFORE LAUNCH. THE ENVELOPE WAS HEATED GREATER THAN 40 DEGS F ABOVE EQUILIBRIUM IN THE ATTEMPT TO REESTABLISH CLB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A FIREFLY AX-7 ADVERTISING A NATIONALLY DISTRIBUTED BEER. HE USUALLY FLIES A RAVEN AND ADMITS THAT HE WASN'T VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FIREFLY. HE ALSO ADMITS THAT HE HAD NOT PROPERLY PREFLTED HIS FUEL SYS. HIS FUEL TANK QUANTITIES WERE LOW AND CONSEQUENTLY SO WAS THE FUEL PRESSURE. THE RPTR WAS FLYING SOLO. HE STATES THAT THE PYROMETER TENDS TO SPIKE 20 DEGS WHEN HEAT IS ADDED AND HE DID NOT KNOW THE ACTUAL TEMP IN THE ENVELOPE. HE LANDED ON THE ROOF AS HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE BALLOON WAS PERFORMING SO POORLY AND HE WAS IN A CONGESTED AREA WITH SEVERAL PWR LINES ABOUT. THE BALLOON WAS DISASSEMBLED ON THE ROOF AND REMOVED VIA LADDERS. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA OR ANY OTHER BODY ABOUT THIS, INCLUDING THE BUILDING OWNER. THE RPTR ADMITS TAKING THE BALLOON TO A REPAIR STATION TO TRY TO FIND THE REASON FOR THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE. THIS IS WHERE HE LEARNED OF THE LOW FUEL LEVEL AND LEARNED OF THE DIFFERENCE IN OP BTWN THE FIREFLY AND THE RAVEN. THE RPTR STATED 'THERE WERE NO METEOROLOGICAL REASONS FOR THIS INCIDENT.'

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.