Narrative:

Launched at sunrise in winds of 6-8 KTS and forecast of light winds at all nearby stations except erie, PA (about 50 mi southwest and on shore of lake erie). Launch site was about 18 mi from lake erie at nearest point, 25 mi in direction we flew and not in line of flight for forecast winds aloft. However, flight path and speeds were different than expected. After about 30 mins of flight, I did a practice touch and go and determined winds on surface were stronger than aloft. I estimate about 8 KTS. I briefed passenger for landing and made a climb to maneuver and line up on better landing sites. As I climbed, from within a slight valley, I began to be drawn toward lake erie and out of the valley and over the escarpment at a higher rate than expected. I was being drawn by off-shore breeze from the lake. I immediately attempted to land but was drawn further towards the lake. The closer I got, the stronger the winds became and the greater the low level windshear and distortion of the balloon. I passed up a few landing spots due to obstructions, fences and power lines and eventually located a field large enough to attempt to land. As I approached, I was amazed at the force of the shears, downdrafts and surface winds. I used the last few rows of trees to slow our airspeed, then vented and landed through the shears. At landing, one passenger tumbled out. The balloon, myself and 2 other passenger were dragged along the ground (we remained in the basket). After several yds and hard red line venting, I determined the balloon was not going to stop this way, so I rolled out and was dragged a short distance still holding the line. This stopped the balloon. A check of passenger and balloon determined no serious injuries, bumps and bruises only and no damage to the balloon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a part time commercial ride operator flying an aerostar rally ax-8 balloon. He estimates his drag distance at 100 yds and the wind at touchdown at 'more than 20 KTS.' he does not remember how he got out of the basket, but believes that he was not bounced or thrown out. None of his passenger were hurt or complained. He has not heard from any authority/authorized on this matter. As the envelope was acting like a sail and the balloon was very heavy, there was no danger of it lifting off when he rolled out of the basket. He was able to provide more drag to help stop the balloon being out of the basket.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HAD A HIGH WIND LNDG.

Narrative: LAUNCHED AT SUNRISE IN WINDS OF 6-8 KTS AND FORECAST OF LIGHT WINDS AT ALL NEARBY STATIONS EXCEPT ERIE, PA (ABOUT 50 MI SW AND ON SHORE OF LAKE ERIE). LAUNCH SITE WAS ABOUT 18 MI FROM LAKE ERIE AT NEAREST POINT, 25 MI IN DIRECTION WE FLEW AND NOT IN LINE OF FLT FOR FORECAST WINDS ALOFT. HOWEVER, FLT PATH AND SPDS WERE DIFFERENT THAN EXPECTED. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS OF FLT, I DID A PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO AND DETERMINED WINDS ON SURFACE WERE STRONGER THAN ALOFT. I ESTIMATE ABOUT 8 KTS. I BRIEFED PAX FOR LNDG AND MADE A CLB TO MANEUVER AND LINE UP ON BETTER LNDG SITES. AS I CLBED, FROM WITHIN A SLIGHT VALLEY, I BEGAN TO BE DRAWN TOWARD LAKE ERIE AND OUT OF THE VALLEY AND OVER THE ESCARPMENT AT A HIGHER RATE THAN EXPECTED. I WAS BEING DRAWN BY OFF-SHORE BREEZE FROM THE LAKE. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO LAND BUT WAS DRAWN FURTHER TOWARDS THE LAKE. THE CLOSER I GOT, THE STRONGER THE WINDS BECAME AND THE GREATER THE LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR AND DISTORTION OF THE BALLOON. I PASSED UP A FEW LNDG SPOTS DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS, FENCES AND PWR LINES AND EVENTUALLY LOCATED A FIELD LARGE ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT TO LAND. AS I APCHED, I WAS AMAZED AT THE FORCE OF THE SHEARS, DOWNDRAFTS AND SURFACE WINDS. I USED THE LAST FEW ROWS OF TREES TO SLOW OUR AIRSPD, THEN VENTED AND LANDED THROUGH THE SHEARS. AT LNDG, ONE PAX TUMBLED OUT. THE BALLOON, MYSELF AND 2 OTHER PAX WERE DRAGGED ALONG THE GND (WE REMAINED IN THE BASKET). AFTER SEVERAL YDS AND HARD RED LINE VENTING, I DETERMINED THE BALLOON WAS NOT GOING TO STOP THIS WAY, SO I ROLLED OUT AND WAS DRAGGED A SHORT DISTANCE STILL HOLDING THE LINE. THIS STOPPED THE BALLOON. A CHK OF PAX AND BALLOON DETERMINED NO SERIOUS INJURIES, BUMPS AND BRUISES ONLY AND NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A PART TIME COMMERCIAL RIDE OPERATOR FLYING AN AEROSTAR RALLY AX-8 BALLOON. HE ESTIMATES HIS DRAG DISTANCE AT 100 YDS AND THE WIND AT TOUCHDOWN AT 'MORE THAN 20 KTS.' HE DOES NOT REMEMBER HOW HE GOT OUT OF THE BASKET, BUT BELIEVES THAT HE WAS NOT BOUNCED OR THROWN OUT. NONE OF HIS PAX WERE HURT OR COMPLAINED. HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM ANY AUTH ON THIS MATTER. AS THE ENVELOPE WAS ACTING LIKE A SAIL AND THE BALLOON WAS VERY HVY, THERE WAS NO DANGER OF IT LIFTING OFF WHEN HE ROLLED OUT OF THE BASKET. HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE DRAG TO HELP STOP THE BALLOON BEING OUT OF THE BASKET.

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.