Narrative:

I was the PIC, with 2 unpaid passenger, aboard a commercially sponsored hot air balloon flying the pre-dawn, 'dawn patrol' at a special event. My currency for night flight with passenger seldom lapses, as I frequently operate pre-dawn. The aircraft was on its 4TH 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 the special event park at this hour is a delight for the flight crew/passenger and spectators. This special interest 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 area 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 slow, to the west, positioning myself for an on-field landing on the park. Cruising over the concession 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 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 the park. 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 minimum, safe altitudes to the rest of the event 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.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP BY A HOT AIR BALLOON DURING A 'DAWN PATROL.'

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC, WITH 2 UNPAID PAX, ABOARD A COMMERCIALLY SPONSORED HOT AIR BALLOON FLYING THE PRE-DAWN, 'DAWN PATROL' AT A SPECIAL EVENT. MY CURRENCY FOR NIGHT FLT WITH PAX SELDOM LAPSES, AS I FREQUENTLY OPERATE PRE-DAWN. THE ACFT WAS ON ITS 4TH 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 THE SPECIAL EVENT PARK AT THIS HR IS A DELIGHT FOR THE FLC/PAX AND SPECTATORS. THIS SPECIAL INTEREST 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 AREA SURROUNDING THE PARK. WITHIN 15 MINS, OUR DRIFT PLACED THE ACFT WITHIN 1500 VERT FT OF POWER 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 SLOW, TO THE W, POSITIONING MYSELF FOR AN ON-FIELD LNDG ON THE PARK. CRUISING OVER THE CONCESSION 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 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 THE PARK. WHAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED CUSTOMARY AND ACCEPTABLE, CLRLY IS NO LONGER. I WILL FOLLOW THE RULES, AND MY OP FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK REFLECTED THAT. ADDITIONALLY, I BEGAN PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE FAA ON MINIMUM, SAFE ALTS TO THE REST OF THE EVENT 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.

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.