A hot air balloon pilot and passenger find themselves airborne in increasing winds and decide to land as soon as practical. Their touchdown was rough and the pilot received a minor injury. The passenger then exited the basket and the balloon became airborne, but the pilot landed safely a short distance away. Cameron V77.

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Attributes
ACN	349762
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : abq
State Reference	NM
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	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 675
ASRS Report	349762
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was participating in balloon event in a 'mass ascension' of about 800 balloons. Peer pressure caused me to fly in winds higher than I normally would fly. Another senior citizen was my passenger. We lifted off into increasing winds, causing me to want to land as soon as possible. I landed hard on the top of a sand pile. My right cheek hit my passenger's helmet causing some discomfort. My chase crew informed me that I had landed in a prohibited zone and should fly on. My passenger very willingly exited the basket and I flew on. I flew low over houses to land safely in an impossible site. When my chase crew finally arrived, they announced that I was bleeding from my right cheek. When I checked my cheek with my finger, I found that my right lens was missing. As my medical certificate states that I must wear corrective lenses while flying and one lens was missing, I half violated some obscure far even though balloon flying does not require a medical certificate. Honest, I didn't mean to!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT AND PAX FIND THEMSELVES AIRBORNE IN INCREASING WINDS AND DECIDE TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. THEIR TOUCHDOWN WAS ROUGH AND THE PLT RECEIVED A MINOR INJURY. THE PAX THEN EXITED THE BASKET AND THE BALLOON BECAME AIRBORNE, BUT THE PLT LANDED SAFELY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. CAMERON V77.

Narrative: I WAS PARTICIPATING IN BALLOON EVENT IN A 'MASS ASCENSION' OF ABOUT 800 BALLOONS. PEER PRESSURE CAUSED ME TO FLY IN WINDS HIGHER THAN I NORMALLY WOULD FLY. ANOTHER SENIOR CITIZEN WAS MY PAX. WE LIFTED OFF INTO INCREASING WINDS, CAUSING ME TO WANT TO LAND ASAP. I LANDED HARD ON THE TOP OF A SAND PILE. MY R CHEEK HIT MY PAX'S HELMET CAUSING SOME DISCOMFORT. MY CHASE CREW INFORMED ME THAT I HAD LANDED IN A PROHIBITED ZONE AND SHOULD FLY ON. MY PAX VERY WILLINGLY EXITED THE BASKET AND I FLEW ON. I FLEW LOW OVER HOUSES TO LAND SAFELY IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITE. WHEN MY CHASE CREW FINALLY ARRIVED, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS BLEEDING FROM MY R CHEEK. WHEN I CHKED MY CHEEK WITH MY FINGER, I FOUND THAT MY R LENS WAS MISSING. AS MY MEDICAL CERTIFICATE STATES THAT I MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES WHILE FLYING AND ONE LENS WAS MISSING, I HALF VIOLATED SOME OBSCURE FAR EVEN THOUGH BALLOON FLYING DOES NOT REQUIRE A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. HONEST, I DIDN'T MEAN TO!

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.