Narrative:

The WX was clear and the winds were light (2-5 KTS) on apr/sun/96. I decided to fly my balloon in the late afternoon for approximately 1 hour. I launched 4 individual pibals intermittently at 30 min intervals prior to my launch time. The last pibal was released no later than 30 mins prior to my balloon launch. Each of the pibals was consistent with others, they headed toward the northwest from the surface to approximately 1000 ft AGL then gently shifted toward the west from approximately 1000 ft AGL to 2500-3000 ft AGL. There was no turbulence or other indicators to cause concern for balloon flying. I also talked to a pilot who had been flying skydivers up to 13500 ft AGL all day. He reported that the winds at altitude were light, there hadn't been any changes during the day, and he didn't observe any indicators of impending changes in conditions. The launch was normal and uneventful as was my ascension to over 1000 ft AGL. I kept a steady ascent while monitoring for indicators of the expected wind shift that would take me toward the west. At 10-15 mins into the flight, I discovered that the wind direction at altitude was not taking me toward the west as expected, but was taking me toward the nnw with a ground speed of 1/2 - 1 KT. I continued to climb looking for the wind shift and leveled off at 3500 ft AGL. There was no change in wind speed or direction. I decided to descend slowly to see if I missed any subtle changes on the way up to altitude. There was no change in wind speed or direction at 1100 ft AGL. The wind was taking me toward the nnw at 1/2 - 1 KT with a ground track over the city of zephyrhills, fl, not in the direction all my preflight preparations were based on. I flew for approximately 10 mins at 1000-1100 ft AGL to make calculations on ground speed, direction, fuel consumption rate, etc. I determined that if I stayed above the prescribed minimum altitudes (far 91.119) I would run low on fuel and use most, if not all, of my reserves before safely flying over zephyrhills and find a suitable landing site in a sparsely populated area. Action for the safest possible outcome was to descend and land at the first safe place and terminate my flight. I descended to the lower winds and began my landing procedures. My first 2 landing site choices had power lines too close. I landed in what was my third choice, a nice field behind a grocery store that had no downwind power lines. It was a normal, safe landing and at no time did I feel that I operated my aircraft in a careless or reckless manner. My chase crew was waiting at the landing site (we have radio communications) but were detained by a local police sergeant, who assaulted my crew chief with profanities and inappropriate orders preventing the safe execution of his duties. The sergeant then approached my aircraft, which was still fully inflated, and ordered me to terminate my flight immediately. I informed him that it wasn't his authority/authorized to tell me to terminate the flight, that I could fly on further, but had made the decision to land here as it was a very safe site. After the crew and I deflated and packed up the balloon, the police escorted us to the local police station and demanded that I surrender my aircraft. The police took possession of my aircraft and released me with no charges filed. The local police released the aircraft to me the next day at noon. At no time was I not in control of my aircraft during this flight. At no time during this flight did I compromise my safety or the safety of persons or property on the ground. In my plting experience, however, I have noticed that people often times overreact to balloon operations. These people also tend to miscalculate hts and distances. What is seen as normal and safe to experienced balloonists is often construed as careless or reckless to the uninitiated observer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WINDS, A HOT AIR BALLOON HAD TO LAND INSIDE A CITY. THE BALLOON WAS CONFISCATED BY LCL LAW.

Narrative: THE WX WAS CLR AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT (2-5 KTS) ON APR/SUN/96. I DECIDED TO FLY MY BALLOON IN THE LATE AFTERNOON FOR APPROX 1 HR. I LAUNCHED 4 INDIVIDUAL PIBALS INTERMITTENTLY AT 30 MIN INTERVALS PRIOR TO MY LAUNCH TIME. THE LAST PIBAL WAS RELEASED NO LATER THAN 30 MINS PRIOR TO MY BALLOON LAUNCH. EACH OF THE PIBALS WAS CONSISTENT WITH OTHERS, THEY HEADED TOWARD THE NW FROM THE SURFACE TO APPROX 1000 FT AGL THEN GENTLY SHIFTED TOWARD THE W FROM APPROX 1000 FT AGL TO 2500-3000 FT AGL. THERE WAS NO TURB OR OTHER INDICATORS TO CAUSE CONCERN FOR BALLOON FLYING. I ALSO TALKED TO A PLT WHO HAD BEEN FLYING SKYDIVERS UP TO 13500 FT AGL ALL DAY. HE RPTED THAT THE WINDS AT ALT WERE LIGHT, THERE HADN'T BEEN ANY CHANGES DURING THE DAY, AND HE DIDN'T OBSERVE ANY INDICATORS OF IMPENDING CHANGES IN CONDITIONS. THE LAUNCH WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL AS WAS MY ASCENSION TO OVER 1000 FT AGL. I KEPT A STEADY ASCENT WHILE MONITORING FOR INDICATORS OF THE EXPECTED WIND SHIFT THAT WOULD TAKE ME TOWARD THE W. AT 10-15 MINS INTO THE FLT, I DISCOVERED THAT THE WIND DIRECTION AT ALT WAS NOT TAKING ME TOWARD THE W AS EXPECTED, BUT WAS TAKING ME TOWARD THE NNW WITH A GND SPD OF 1/2 - 1 KT. I CONTINUED TO CLB LOOKING FOR THE WIND SHIFT AND LEVELED OFF AT 3500 FT AGL. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN WIND SPD OR DIRECTION. I DECIDED TO DSND SLOWLY TO SEE IF I MISSED ANY SUBTLE CHANGES ON THE WAY UP TO ALT. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN WIND SPD OR DIRECTION AT 1100 FT AGL. THE WIND WAS TAKING ME TOWARD THE NNW AT 1/2 - 1 KT WITH A GND TRACK OVER THE CITY OF ZEPHYRHILLS, FL, NOT IN THE DIRECTION ALL MY PREFLT PREPARATIONS WERE BASED ON. I FLEW FOR APPROX 10 MINS AT 1000-1100 FT AGL TO MAKE CALCULATIONS ON GND SPD, DIRECTION, FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE, ETC. I DETERMINED THAT IF I STAYED ABOVE THE PRESCRIBED MINIMUM ALTS (FAR 91.119) I WOULD RUN LOW ON FUEL AND USE MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF MY RESERVES BEFORE SAFELY FLYING OVER ZEPHYRHILLS AND FIND A SUITABLE LNDG SITE IN A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA. ACTION FOR THE SAFEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME WAS TO DSND AND LAND AT THE FIRST SAFE PLACE AND TERMINATE MY FLT. I DSNDED TO THE LOWER WINDS AND BEGAN MY LNDG PROCS. MY FIRST 2 LNDG SITE CHOICES HAD PWR LINES TOO CLOSE. I LANDED IN WHAT WAS MY THIRD CHOICE, A NICE FIELD BEHIND A GROCERY STORE THAT HAD NO DOWNWIND PWR LINES. IT WAS A NORMAL, SAFE LNDG AND AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT I OPERATED MY ACFT IN A CARELESS OR RECKLESS MANNER. MY CHASE CREW WAS WAITING AT THE LNDG SITE (WE HAVE RADIO COMS) BUT WERE DETAINED BY A LCL POLICE SERGEANT, WHO ASSAULTED MY CREW CHIEF WITH PROFANITIES AND INAPPROPRIATE ORDERS PREVENTING THE SAFE EXECUTION OF HIS DUTIES. THE SERGEANT THEN APCHED MY ACFT, WHICH WAS STILL FULLY INFLATED, AND ORDERED ME TO TERMINATE MY FLT IMMEDIATELY. I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WASN'T HIS AUTH TO TELL ME TO TERMINATE THE FLT, THAT I COULD FLY ON FURTHER, BUT HAD MADE THE DECISION TO LAND HERE AS IT WAS A VERY SAFE SITE. AFTER THE CREW AND I DEFLATED AND PACKED UP THE BALLOON, THE POLICE ESCORTED US TO THE LCL POLICE STATION AND DEMANDED THAT I SURRENDER MY ACFT. THE POLICE TOOK POSSESSION OF MY ACFT AND RELEASED ME WITH NO CHARGES FILED. THE LCL POLICE RELEASED THE ACFT TO ME THE NEXT DAY AT NOON. AT NO TIME WAS I NOT IN CTL OF MY ACFT DURING THIS FLT. AT NO TIME DURING THIS FLT DID I COMPROMISE MY SAFETY OR THE SAFETY OF PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE GND. IN MY PLTING EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER, I HAVE NOTICED THAT PEOPLE OFTEN TIMES OVERREACT TO BALLOON OPS. THESE PEOPLE ALSO TEND TO MISCALCULATE HTS AND DISTANCES. WHAT IS SEEN AS NORMAL AND SAFE TO EXPERIENCED BALLOONISTS IS OFTEN CONSTRUED AS CARELESS OR RECKLESS TO THE UNINITIATED OBSERVER.

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.