Narrative:

I was the PIC, with 2 unpaid passenger, aboard a commercially sponsored hot air balloon flying the pre-dawn, 'dawn patrol' at the balloon event X. My currency for night flight with passenger seldom lapses, as I frequently operate pre-dawn. The aircraft was on it's fourth flight, just delivered new from england. I had attained my recency on this particular aircraft 3 days before, and had even flown pre-dawn the previous day. Flying from location X at this hour is a delight for the flight crew, passenger and spectators. Organization X lists 'dawn patrol' as a scheduled event. Was a low altitude waiver in effect for dawn patrol? Even those charged with briefing and safety for the event were vague at best. After lift-off, I began cruising at 50 ft or less over my launch area and the parking are surrounding the park. Within 15 mins, our drift placed the aircraft within 1500 vertical ft of power lines to the east side of the field. At a lower altitude I found a slight breeze to push us away from the lines, to the west. I rode this for a few mins. Flying at about 30 ft above the parking area on the north end of the field, I advised my passenger we may attempt a landing in an open area where cars had not yet occupied. Upon approach, the man flagging cars in said he preferred I not land there. From that point, I clearly should have ascended to a minimum, safe altitude and waited for another landing spot. Instead, I thought it possible to keep riding the breeze, albeit very slowly, to the west, positioning myself for an on-field landing on location X. Cruising over the concession areas, I did not have enough of a west push to get to a large enough area away from spectators and vehicles to attempt a landing. In the midst of this navigating, I was using a turning vent to keep myself oriented for the best horizontal visibility for an approach. At the same time as I had my turning vent in my right hand, I had the red (vent) line in my hand. I lost concentration and failed to release the vent line, causing a final, exceptionally low swoop over the area. At that moment, I knew I would be viewed as purely 'showboating' and expected to be called to the safety tower the next day. I was, not only by the organization X safety official, but by the chief of the FSDO for abq. I agreed to cooperate in the investigation and will do so. I was hunting for a place to land and in the process did what I and others have done in the past, flown very low over location X. What was once considered customary and acceptable, clearly is no longer. I will follow the rules, and my operation for the rest of the week reflected that. Additionally, I began preaching the gospel of the FAA on MSA's to the rest of the event X flyers. I suspect that was largely the point of the safety officers and the new FAA chief in the first place. If so, I understand. There are too many people following my lead on 'dawn patrol' for me to be setting a poor example, or one that is judged as even questionable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a brand new lindstrand A-90 hot air balloon. He received a letter of investigation from the abq FSDO. Under advice of counsel, he did not respond. 2 months later he received a letter from the FSDO saying that 'there was no cause for action' and the matter would be expunged from his record in 2 yrs. Initially there was a question in the reporter's mind whether the waiver was in effect for the 'dawn patrol.' the abq FSDO admitted that it was in effect. The loi that the reporter received listed another aircraft and n-number on the morning of the flight. In the past, organization X officials encouraged low flight over the launch field by the 'dawn patrol' balloons.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC, WITH 2 UNPAID PAX, ABOARD A COMMERCIALLY SPONSORED HOT AIR BALLOON FLYING THE PRE-DAWN, 'DAWN PATROL' AT THE BALLOON EVENT X. MY CURRENCY FOR NIGHT FLT WITH PAX SELDOM LAPSES, AS I FREQUENTLY OPERATE PRE-DAWN. THE ACFT WAS ON IT'S FOURTH FLT, JUST DELIVERED NEW FROM ENGLAND. I HAD ATTAINED MY RECENCY ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT 3 DAYS BEFORE, AND HAD EVEN FLOWN PRE-DAWN THE PREVIOUS DAY. FLYING FROM LOCATION X AT THIS HR IS A DELIGHT FOR THE FLC, PAX AND SPECTATORS. ORGANIZATION X LISTS 'DAWN PATROL' AS A SCHEDULED EVENT. WAS A LOW ALT WAIVER IN EFFECT FOR DAWN PATROL? EVEN THOSE CHARGED WITH BRIEFING AND SAFETY FOR THE EVENT WERE VAGUE AT BEST. AFTER LIFT-OFF, I BEGAN CRUISING AT 50 FT OR LESS OVER MY LAUNCH AREA AND THE PARKING ARE SURROUNDING THE PARK. WITHIN 15 MINS, OUR DRIFT PLACED THE ACFT WITHIN 1500 VERT FT OF PWR LINES TO THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD. AT A LOWER ALT I FOUND A SLIGHT BREEZE TO PUSH US AWAY FROM THE LINES, TO THE W. I RODE THIS FOR A FEW MINS. FLYING AT ABOUT 30 FT ABOVE THE PARKING AREA ON THE N END OF THE FIELD, I ADVISED MY PAX WE MAY ATTEMPT A LNDG IN AN OPEN AREA WHERE CARS HAD NOT YET OCCUPIED. UPON APCH, THE MAN FLAGGING CARS IN SAID HE PREFERRED I NOT LAND THERE. FROM THAT POINT, I CLRLY SHOULD HAVE ASCENDED TO A MINIMUM, SAFE ALT AND WAITED FOR ANOTHER LNDG SPOT. INSTEAD, I THOUGHT IT POSSIBLE TO KEEP RIDING THE BREEZE, ALBEIT VERY SLOWLY, TO THE W, POSITIONING MYSELF FOR AN ON-FIELD LNDG ON LOCATION X. CRUISING OVER THE CONCESSION AREAS, I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH OF A WEST PUSH TO GET TO A LARGE ENOUGH AREA AWAY FROM SPECTATORS AND VEHICLES TO ATTEMPT A LNDG. IN THE MIDST OF THIS NAVING, I WAS USING A TURNING VENT TO KEEP MYSELF ORIENTED FOR THE BEST HORIZ VISIBILITY FOR AN APCH. AT THE SAME TIME AS I HAD MY TURNING VENT IN MY R HAND, I HAD THE RED (VENT) LINE IN MY HAND. I LOST CONCENTRATION AND FAILED TO RELEASE THE VENT LINE, CAUSING A FINAL, EXCEPTIONALLY LOW SWOOP OVER THE AREA. AT THAT MOMENT, I KNEW I WOULD BE VIEWED AS PURELY 'SHOWBOATING' AND EXPECTED TO BE CALLED TO THE SAFETY TWR THE NEXT DAY. I WAS, NOT ONLY BY THE ORGANIZATION X SAFETY OFFICIAL, BUT BY THE CHIEF OF THE FSDO FOR ABQ. I AGREED TO COOPERATE IN THE INVESTIGATION AND WILL DO SO. I WAS HUNTING FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND IN THE PROCESS DID WHAT I AND OTHERS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, FLOWN VERY LOW OVER LOCATION X. WHAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED CUSTOMARY AND ACCEPTABLE, CLRLY IS NO LONGER. I WILL FOLLOW THE RULES, AND MY OP FOR THE REST OF THE WK REFLECTED THAT. ADDITIONALLY, I BEGAN PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE FAA ON MSA'S TO THE REST OF THE EVENT X FLYERS. I SUSPECT THAT WAS LARGELY THE POINT OF THE SAFETY OFFICERS AND THE NEW FAA CHIEF IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF SO, I UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE FOLLOWING MY LEAD ON 'DAWN PATROL' FOR ME TO BE SETTING A POOR EXAMPLE, OR ONE THAT IS JUDGED AS EVEN QUESTIONABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A BRAND NEW LINDSTRAND A-90 HOT AIR BALLOON. HE RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE ABQ FSDO. UNDER ADVICE OF COUNSEL, HE DID NOT RESPOND. 2 MONTHS LATER HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FSDO SAYING THAT 'THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR ACTION' AND THE MATTER WOULD BE EXPUNGED FROM HIS RECORD IN 2 YRS. INITIALLY THERE WAS A QUESTION IN THE RPTR'S MIND WHETHER THE WAIVER WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE 'DAWN PATROL.' THE ABQ FSDO ADMITTED THAT IT WAS IN EFFECT. THE LOI THAT THE RPTR RECEIVED LISTED ANOTHER ACFT AND N-NUMBER ON THE MORNING OF THE FLT. IN THE PAST, ORGANIZATION X OFFICIALS ENCOURAGED LOW FLT OVER THE LAUNCH FIELD BY THE 'DAWN PATROL' BALLOONS.

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.