Narrative:

During a commercial passenger flight in a hot air balloon on aug/xx/96 in the woodinville-redmond area, it became necessary to make a safe landing to city park. The landing was accomplished without incident about 15 mins after sunset. To have continued the flight beyond the point of landing could have resulted in a dangerous and/or emergency situation. The aircraft is equipped with night lights and were in use. 10 mins prior to landing, I attempted to use the same low level winds as another balloon within a few hundred ft of my location that would have resulted in a more suitable landing site. However, I was not able to establish the same direction as the other balloon. The landing was accomplished without incident. However, on contact with the ground I attempted to grab higher up on the red line to fully actuate the parachute deflation system. In the low light of dusk I inadvertently grabbed that part of the red line that was tied off to the burner frame. When the envelope recoiled from the loss of weight on landing, the top resettled and the balloon went back into the air. The ground crew was able to use the drop line, which had been deployed before the initial landing, to control the balloon and prevent continued flight. I realized what had happened and took appropriate action to actuate the parachute top and return to the ground. In analyzing the situation, I have rethought where the red line should be tied off. Rather than in the higher position of the burner frame, where in low light I mistakenly grabbed the wrong part, I now tie the red line off on the inside of the basket near the fuel tanks. This will prevent the situation from reoccurring.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN A CITY PARK AFTER SUNSET. WX FACTORS WIND SHIFT. NIGHT OP WITH PROPER LIGHTING.

Narrative: DURING A COMMERCIAL PAX FLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON ON AUG/XX/96 IN THE WOODINVILLE-REDMOND AREA, IT BECAME NECESSARY TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG TO CITY PARK. THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER SUNSET. TO HAVE CONTINUED THE FLT BEYOND THE POINT OF LNDG COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS AND/OR EMER SIT. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH NIGHT LIGHTS AND WERE IN USE. 10 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE SAME LOW LEVEL WINDS AS ANOTHER BALLOON WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FT OF MY LOCATION THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MORE SUITABLE LNDG SITE. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE OTHER BALLOON. THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER, ON CONTACT WITH THE GND I ATTEMPTED TO GRAB HIGHER UP ON THE RED LINE TO FULLY ACTUATE THE PARACHUTE DEFLATION SYS. IN THE LOW LIGHT OF DUSK I INADVERTENTLY GRABBED THAT PART OF THE RED LINE THAT WAS TIED OFF TO THE BURNER FRAME. WHEN THE ENVELOPE RECOILED FROM THE LOSS OF WT ON LNDG, THE TOP RESETTLED AND THE BALLOON WENT BACK INTO THE AIR. THE GND CREW WAS ABLE TO USE THE DROP LINE, WHICH HAD BEEN DEPLOYED BEFORE THE INITIAL LNDG, TO CTL THE BALLOON AND PREVENT CONTINUED FLT. I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ACTUATE THE PARACHUTE TOP AND RETURN TO THE GND. IN ANALYZING THE SIT, I HAVE RETHOUGHT WHERE THE RED LINE SHOULD BE TIED OFF. RATHER THAN IN THE HIGHER POS OF THE BURNER FRAME, WHERE IN LOW LIGHT I MISTAKENLY GRABBED THE WRONG PART, I NOW TIE THE RED LINE OFF ON THE INSIDE OF THE BASKET NEAR THE FUEL TANKS. THIS WILL PREVENT THE SIT FROM REOCCURRING.

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.