Narrative:

I launched from harres island about 2 mi north of a balloon festival. I flew down the river. I 'splashed and dashed' in the river and then returned to 1000 ft AGL. I climbed another 500 ft as I crossed the buildings of downtown. Once clear of land (over a second river), I began a descent for landing in parking lots near station square. I made a landing in the second parking area I came to. The wind within 30 ft of the surface was twice that of the wind above. I deflated immediately after touching down. The wind carried the envelope over a light pole. There was cosmetic damage done to the envelope. No property was damaged. No one was injured. There was no structural damage. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a corp logo balloon in the vicinity of, but not entered in, the three rivers regatta. The conflict that he mentions was a balloon that he landed near, there was no conflict in the air. An acrobatic airplane came apart in the air during the event, killing its pilot. The reporter believes that a little matter of a non participating balloon was forgotten. He has not been contacted by anyone regarding this incident. 2 sets of hours of operation of the event were published so that pilots not entered in the event could pick the hours that they wanted to have the restr apply. This was a faulty conversion of zulu time to local time. Station square is north of downtown pittsburgh.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN A PARKING LOT SUFFERING MINOR FABRIC DAMAGE. HE WAS FLYING NEAR BUT NOT ENTERED IN, A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY AIRSHOW. SEE ACN 343070.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED FROM HARRES ISLAND ABOUT 2 MI N OF A BALLOON FESTIVAL. I FLEW DOWN THE RIVER. I 'SPLASHED AND DASHED' IN THE RIVER AND THEN RETURNED TO 1000 FT AGL. I CLBED ANOTHER 500 FT AS I CROSSED THE BUILDINGS OF DOWNTOWN. ONCE CLR OF LAND (OVER A SECOND RIVER), I BEGAN A DSCNT FOR LNDG IN PARKING LOTS NEAR STATION SQUARE. I MADE A LNDG IN THE SECOND PARKING AREA I CAME TO. THE WIND WITHIN 30 FT OF THE SURFACE WAS TWICE THAT OF THE WIND ABOVE. I DEFLATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN. THE WIND CARRIED THE ENVELOPE OVER A LIGHT POLE. THERE WAS COSMETIC DAMAGE DONE TO THE ENVELOPE. NO PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CORP LOGO BALLOON IN THE VICINITY OF, BUT NOT ENTERED IN, THE THREE RIVERS REGATTA. THE CONFLICT THAT HE MENTIONS WAS A BALLOON THAT HE LANDED NEAR, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT IN THE AIR. AN ACROBATIC AIRPLANE CAME APART IN THE AIR DURING THE EVENT, KILLING ITS PLT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT A LITTLE MATTER OF A NON PARTICIPATING BALLOON WAS FORGOTTEN. HE HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY ANYONE REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. 2 SETS OF HRS OF OP OF THE EVENT WERE PUBLISHED SO THAT PLTS NOT ENTERED IN THE EVENT COULD PICK THE HRS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE RESTR APPLY. THIS WAS A FAULTY CONVERSION OF ZULU TIME TO LCL TIME. STATION SQUARE IS N OF DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH.

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.