Low altitude civil operation by a hot air balloon.

Attributes
ACN	318344
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : f69
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	318344
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I made 3 attempts to land. It is very difficult, if not impossible , for a hot air balloon to stay at 1000 ft and then drop into a landing site. With every small change of altitude, you can have a direction change or a change in speed. I ended up landing past an intersection on a median. I was approaching a high security area we cannot land on and they would rather we didn't fly over. I feel if we did not have a minimum altitude, it would be safer for approach and lndgs. I feel we would not be pressured into making a choice under more desperate circumstances. This has happened many times to me and other balloon pilots.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP BY A HOT AIR BALLOON.

Narrative: I MADE 3 ATTEMPTS TO LAND. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE , FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON TO STAY AT 1000 FT AND THEN DROP INTO A LNDG SITE. WITH EVERY SMALL CHANGE OF ALT, YOU CAN HAVE A DIRECTION CHANGE OR A CHANGE IN SPD. I ENDED UP LNDG PAST AN INTXN ON A MEDIAN. I WAS APCHING A HIGH SECURITY AREA WE CANNOT LAND ON AND THEY WOULD RATHER WE DIDN'T FLY OVER. I FEEL IF WE DID NOT HAVE A MINIMUM ALT, IT WOULD BE SAFER FOR APCH AND LNDGS. I FEEL WE WOULD NOT BE PRESSURED INTO MAKING A CHOICE UNDER MORE DESPERATE CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES TO ME AND OTHER BALLOON PLTS.

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.