Narrative:

At the last flight of the event, I realized I would miss the balloon grab by 10 ft. I added heat to climb out of surface wind going west. Upper wind was more northerly direction, change was gradual and low, only 100 to 200 ft altitude was needed. I vented hard to descend back down in order to grab small balloon on 20 ft pole. The mouth of my balloon closed due to aggressive venting and heat to stop descent. I burned several panels and skirt. I stopped burning so as to not damage further and landed next to target. Most of my flying has been with heavily loaded passenger ride balloons where aggressive flying is not possible. Having flown twice a day for past week, I was tired but pumped up on adrenaline after getting good drop on 'X' and being in front of hometown crowd. I tried to do more than I was used to. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the FAA has started proceedings against the reporter, charging him with careless and reckless operation and damaging another person's property. The balloon, an aerostar rx-8 of 90000 cubic ft, was not owned by the reporter. He admits that this balloon is rather large for serious solo competition. When he vented hard to get down into the needed wind, the mouth partially closed because the balloon was lightly loaded. This brought the vent line to the center of the mouth and the vent line was in direct line with the flame. The vent line became partially burned. Rather than fly on and possibly burn the vent line further, the reporter landed next to the target. He thinks that another pilot may have turned him in to the FAA as he was obstructing other balloon's approach to the target. It is possible that a local competitor in the ballooning business may have turned him in. The reporter estimates that there was 'about $1000 damage' to the balloon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT MADE A HARD LNDG NEXT TO THE TARGET DURING COMPETITION.

Narrative: AT THE LAST FLT OF THE EVENT, I REALIZED I WOULD MISS THE BALLOON GRAB BY 10 FT. I ADDED HEAT TO CLB OUT OF SURFACE WIND GOING W. UPPER WIND WAS MORE NORTHERLY DIRECTION, CHANGE WAS GRADUAL AND LOW, ONLY 100 TO 200 FT ALT WAS NEEDED. I VENTED HARD TO DSND BACK DOWN IN ORDER TO GRAB SMALL BALLOON ON 20 FT POLE. THE MOUTH OF MY BALLOON CLOSED DUE TO AGGRESSIVE VENTING AND HEAT TO STOP DSCNT. I BURNED SEVERAL PANELS AND SKIRT. I STOPPED BURNING SO AS TO NOT DAMAGE FURTHER AND LANDED NEXT TO TARGET. MOST OF MY FLYING HAS BEEN WITH HEAVILY LOADED PAX RIDE BALLOONS WHERE AGGRESSIVE FLYING IS NOT POSSIBLE. HAVING FLOWN TWICE A DAY FOR PAST WEEK, I WAS TIRED BUT PUMPED UP ON ADRENALINE AFTER GETTING GOOD DROP ON 'X' AND BEING IN FRONT OF HOMETOWN CROWD. I TRIED TO DO MORE THAN I WAS USED TO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FAA HAS STARTED PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE RPTR, CHARGING HIM WITH CARELESS AND RECKLESS OP AND DAMAGING ANOTHER PERSON'S PROPERTY. THE BALLOON, AN AEROSTAR RX-8 OF 90000 CUBIC FT, WAS NOT OWNED BY THE RPTR. HE ADMITS THAT THIS BALLOON IS RATHER LARGE FOR SERIOUS SOLO COMPETITION. WHEN HE VENTED HARD TO GET DOWN INTO THE NEEDED WIND, THE MOUTH PARTIALLY CLOSED BECAUSE THE BALLOON WAS LIGHTLY LOADED. THIS BROUGHT THE VENT LINE TO THE CTR OF THE MOUTH AND THE VENT LINE WAS IN DIRECT LINE WITH THE FLAME. THE VENT LINE BECAME PARTIALLY BURNED. RATHER THAN FLY ON AND POSSIBLY BURN THE VENT LINE FURTHER, THE RPTR LANDED NEXT TO THE TARGET. HE THINKS THAT ANOTHER PLT MAY HAVE TURNED HIM IN TO THE FAA AS HE WAS OBSTRUCTING OTHER BALLOON'S APCH TO THE TARGET. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A LOCAL COMPETITOR IN THE BALLOONING BUSINESS MAY HAVE TURNED HIM IN. THE RPTR ESTIMATES THAT THERE WAS 'ABOUT $1000 DAMAGE' TO THE BALLOON.

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.