A hot air balloon pilot inadvertently flew into class D airspace, then had to fly low over a congest...

Attributes
ACN	337351
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bed airport : 6b6
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bed
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	337351
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was first flight of balloon in 1996 season following annual inspection. Setup and inflation difficult, delayed due to balloon being packed randomly by inspecting station. Takeoff delayed. Initial flight appeared to go in direction with sufficient landing fields, slight shift carried us on unusual track (first time in 10 yrs of flying from 6b6). Takeoff had been at XA00 am. Hanscom tower opens at XB00 am. (On initial track of typical flight, controled airspace would not be entered). In controled airspace (1/2 mi in) when tower came on line, no aircraft radio on board, attempts by ground crew to contact tower by phone not successful. After passing low (below 500 ft AGL) over concord, ma, landed in farm field approximately 2 mi from hanscom. Attempt to find landing spot as rapidly as possible after tower began operation resulted in flying low over congested area. Our chase crew reported that directory assistance could not provide them with hanscom tower number. Number in commercial airport directory is also incorrect. Aircraft radio was not carried because forecast winds would not have carried balloon toward hanscom. Difficulty in assembling and inflating balloon delayed takeoff by a crucial 15 mins. Far 91.119 should be changed to allow balloons same low flight opportunities provided to helicopters. Contact was made by telephone with hanscom tower controller after arriving home approximately 2 hours after landing. Controller did not indicate that he believed any problem or concern existed. WX briefing had been obtained by duat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE, THEN HAD TO FLY LOW OVER A CONGESTED AREA.

Narrative: FLT WAS FIRST FLT OF BALLOON IN 1996 SEASON FOLLOWING ANNUAL INSPECTION. SETUP AND INFLATION DIFFICULT, DELAYED DUE TO BALLOON BEING PACKED RANDOMLY BY INSPECTING STATION. TKOF DELAYED. INITIAL FLT APPEARED TO GO IN DIRECTION WITH SUFFICIENT LNDG FIELDS, SLIGHT SHIFT CARRIED US ON UNUSUAL TRACK (FIRST TIME IN 10 YRS OF FLYING FROM 6B6). TKOF HAD BEEN AT XA00 AM. HANSCOM TWR OPENS AT XB00 AM. (ON INITIAL TRACK OF TYPICAL FLT, CTLED AIRSPACE WOULD NOT BE ENTERED). IN CTLED AIRSPACE (1/2 MI IN) WHEN TWR CAME ON LINE, NO ACFT RADIO ON BOARD, ATTEMPTS BY GND CREW TO CONTACT TWR BY PHONE NOT SUCCESSFUL. AFTER PASSING LOW (BELOW 500 FT AGL) OVER CONCORD, MA, LANDED IN FARM FIELD APPROX 2 MI FROM HANSCOM. ATTEMPT TO FIND LNDG SPOT AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER TWR BEGAN OP RESULTED IN FLYING LOW OVER CONGESTED AREA. OUR CHASE CREW RPTED THAT DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE COULD NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH HANSCOM TWR NUMBER. NUMBER IN COMMERCIAL ARPT DIRECTORY IS ALSO INCORRECT. ACFT RADIO WAS NOT CARRIED BECAUSE FORECAST WINDS WOULD NOT HAVE CARRIED BALLOON TOWARD HANSCOM. DIFFICULTY IN ASSEMBLING AND INFLATING BALLOON DELAYED TKOF BY A CRUCIAL 15 MINS. FAR 91.119 SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ALLOW BALLOONS SAME LOW FLT OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO HELIS. CONTACT WAS MADE BY TELEPHONE WITH HANSCOM TWR CTLR AFTER ARRIVING HOME APPROX 2 HRS AFTER LNDG. CTLR DID NOT INDICATE THAT HE BELIEVED ANY PROB OR CONCERN EXISTED. WX BRIEFING HAD BEEN OBTAINED BY DUAT.

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.

A hot air balloon pilot inadvertently flew into class D airspace, then had to fly low over a congested area.