A hot air balloon landed in a cul-de-sac after becoming becalmed over a residential area.

Attributes
ACN	341566
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 91 flight time total : 910 flight time type : 910
ASRS Report	341566
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At launch the preflight information indicated 30 degrees steerage with winds at 3-5 KTS out of east turing from sse with altitude. Launch site chosen that would allow flight into open farm area. 35 mins into flight the wind stopped, virtually no wind from ground to 1500 ft AGL becalmed over residential area. During next 30 mins tried all means of finding a breeze to take us to a nearby park to no avail. Descended to 50 ft over houses near cul-de-sac -- houses on 2 sides -- walking/bike path on 2 sides. Forward speed 0 KTS. Released drop line to ground crew and they pulled me away from a house to open cul-de-sac area and final landing in street. Violated minimum altitude and came within 20 ft of a home in residential area. Talked with all residents in area and no one was angry or afraid. Flight time total 1 hour 12 mins, fuel when landing at 25 percent. Under the circumstances this was best possible solution. Flight caused no damage to aircraft, passenger, pilot or houses on ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED IN A CUL-DE-SAC AFTER BECOMING BECALMED OVER A RESIDENTIAL AREA.

Narrative: AT LAUNCH THE PREFLT INFO INDICATED 30 DEGS STEERAGE WITH WINDS AT 3-5 KTS OUT OF E TURING FROM SSE WITH ALT. LAUNCH SITE CHOSEN THAT WOULD ALLOW FLT INTO OPEN FARM AREA. 35 MINS INTO FLT THE WIND STOPPED, VIRTUALLY NO WIND FROM GND TO 1500 FT AGL BECALMED OVER RESIDENTIAL AREA. DURING NEXT 30 MINS TRIED ALL MEANS OF FINDING A BREEZE TO TAKE US TO A NEARBY PARK TO NO AVAIL. DSNDED TO 50 FT OVER HOUSES NEAR CUL-DE-SAC -- HOUSES ON 2 SIDES -- WALKING/BIKE PATH ON 2 SIDES. FORWARD SPD 0 KTS. RELEASED DROP LINE TO GND CREW AND THEY PULLED ME AWAY FROM A HOUSE TO OPEN CUL-DE-SAC AREA AND FINAL LNDG IN STREET. VIOLATED MINIMUM ALT AND CAME WITHIN 20 FT OF A HOME IN RESIDENTIAL AREA. TALKED WITH ALL RESIDENTS IN AREA AND NO ONE WAS ANGRY OR AFRAID. FLT TIME TOTAL 1 HR 12 MINS, FUEL WHEN LNDG AT 25 PERCENT. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THIS WAS BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION. FLT CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, PAX, PLT OR HOUSES ON GND.

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.