Narrative:

On apr/sat/96, I inadvertently flew my balloon into tul's airspace. We launched from the intersection of 61ST street and 145TH street. I contacted the WX services center and the local AWOS terminal for current conditions. The report was light and variable winds from a general northeast direction. The forecast was for this trend to continue (at 3000 ft -- light and variable, at 6000 ft -- 320 degrees at 13 KTS). Observation of pibals released at the chosen launch sight backed this forecast. Soon after launch we experienced a wind shift from the southwest. After searching at different altitudes for a northeast wind, I began to look for a landing spot immediately. I could not find an adequate landing spot for the next several mi and was tracking in on the boundary of tul's airspace. With no adequate landing spots ahead of me before I reached the boundary, I attempted to communicate with the tul tower over the next several mins. After receiving no responses to my xmissions, I instructed my crew to call (by phone) the tower and explain my situation. The crew reported to me that I had been given clearance to proceed. I continued until I had found an appropriate place to land. After landing, the crew told me that the phone rang 'for a long time' before they made contact with the tower. The controller asked for n-number and location of the balloon. After receiving this information, he thanked the crew and ended the call. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying an aerostar S-52A of 65000 cubic ft. He was carrying an aircraft radio, but admits that he had not recently charged the battery and did not get a radio check before takeoff. He has heard nothing further from the FAA on this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON APR/SAT/96, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW MY BALLOON INTO TUL'S AIRSPACE. WE LAUNCHED FROM THE INTXN OF 61ST STREET AND 145TH STREET. I CONTACTED THE WX SVCS CTR AND THE LCL AWOS TERMINAL FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS. THE RPT WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS FROM A GENERAL NE DIRECTION. THE FORECAST WAS FOR THIS TREND TO CONTINUE (AT 3000 FT -- LIGHT AND VARIABLE, AT 6000 FT -- 320 DEGS AT 13 KTS). OBSERVATION OF PIBALS RELEASED AT THE CHOSEN LAUNCH SIGHT BACKED THIS FORECAST. SOON AFTER LAUNCH WE EXPERIENCED A WIND SHIFT FROM THE SW. AFTER SEARCHING AT DIFFERENT ALTS FOR A NE WIND, I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A LNDG SPOT IMMEDIATELY. I COULD NOT FIND AN ADEQUATE LNDG SPOT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MI AND WAS TRACKING IN ON THE BOUNDARY OF TUL'S AIRSPACE. WITH NO ADEQUATE LNDG SPOTS AHEAD OF ME BEFORE I REACHED THE BOUNDARY, I ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TUL TWR OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINS. AFTER RECEIVING NO RESPONSES TO MY XMISSIONS, I INSTRUCTED MY CREW TO CALL (BY PHONE) THE TWR AND EXPLAIN MY SIT. THE CREW RPTED TO ME THAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN CLRNC TO PROCEED. I CONTINUED UNTIL I HAD FOUND AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, THE CREW TOLD ME THAT THE PHONE RANG 'FOR A LONG TIME' BEFORE THEY MADE CONTACT WITH THE TWR. THE CTLR ASKED FOR N-NUMBER AND LOCATION OF THE BALLOON. AFTER RECEIVING THIS INFO, HE THANKED THE CREW AND ENDED THE CALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING AN AEROSTAR S-52A OF 65000 CUBIC FT. HE WAS CARRYING AN ACFT RADIO, BUT ADMITS THAT HE HAD NOT RECENTLY CHARGED THE BATTERY AND DID NOT GET A RADIO CHK BEFORE TKOF. HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT.

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.