Narrative:

Mr X, a fixed wing pilot, and his wife, took a hot air balloon flight. Upon a stand-up landing with 1 short hop, mrs X indicated that she had pulled her right arm. We deflated and drove back to the meeting area. On tuesday, mr X indicated that his wife has her arm in a sling for 2 weeks. We discussed reporting the incident to the FAA. He insisted that there was no need to do so since the landing had taken place without any problem. On thursday, mrs X was doing ok, but over the wkend a client (flight) indicated that she broke her arm. This was not confirmed and the arm was not broken. I am filing this report in case any competitor files a 1-800 report with misleading information. The 1-800-FAA number where people can make false reports without fact should be improved to avoid vicious attacks. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has been a full time aeronaut for the last 10 yrs. He has corporate balloon contracts and does very little ride business because of the cut throat competition. He was flying a barnes AX8B at the time of this incident. His passenger did not break her arm. Ballooning competitors in btr reported to the FSDO that the arm was broken. The reporter complains about the 'vicious attacks' that he has had from competitors who left anonymous messages on the FAA's 800 number. He has had 2 complaints through the 800 number and 47 other unfounded complaints to the FSDO. This report was sent in the spirit of cya.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BARNES AX8B HOT AIR BALLOON PLT RPTS THAT HIS PAX DID NOT BREAK HER ARM ON LNDG. THIS WAS A RUMOR PASSED BY COMPETITORS.

Narrative: MR X, A FIXED WING PLT, AND HIS WIFE, TOOK A HOT AIR BALLOON FLT. UPON A STAND-UP LNDG WITH 1 SHORT HOP, MRS X INDICATED THAT SHE HAD PULLED HER R ARM. WE DEFLATED AND DROVE BACK TO THE MEETING AREA. ON TUESDAY, MR X INDICATED THAT HIS WIFE HAS HER ARM IN A SLING FOR 2 WKS. WE DISCUSSED RPTING THE INCIDENT TO THE FAA. HE INSISTED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO DO SO SINCE THE LNDG HAD TAKEN PLACE WITHOUT ANY PROB. ON THURSDAY, MRS X WAS DOING OK, BUT OVER THE WKEND A CLIENT (FLT) INDICATED THAT SHE BROKE HER ARM. THIS WAS NOT CONFIRMED AND THE ARM WAS NOT BROKEN. I AM FILING THIS RPT IN CASE ANY COMPETITOR FILES A 1-800 RPT WITH MISLEADING INFO. THE 1-800-FAA NUMBER WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE FALSE RPTS WITHOUT FACT SHOULD BE IMPROVED TO AVOID VICIOUS ATTACKS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS BEEN A FULL TIME AERONAUT FOR THE LAST 10 YRS. HE HAS CORPORATE BALLOON CONTRACTS AND DOES VERY LITTLE RIDE BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE CUT THROAT COMPETITION. HE WAS FLYING A BARNES AX8B AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. HIS PAX DID NOT BREAK HER ARM. BALLOONING COMPETITORS IN BTR RPTED TO THE FSDO THAT THE ARM WAS BROKEN. THE RPTR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE 'VICIOUS ATTACKS' THAT HE HAS HAD FROM COMPETITORS WHO LEFT ANONYMOUS MESSAGES ON THE FAA'S 800 NUMBER. HE HAS HAD 2 COMPLAINTS THROUGH THE 800 NUMBER AND 47 OTHER UNFOUNDED COMPLAINTS TO THE FSDO. THIS RPT WAS SENT IN THE SPIRIT OF CYA.

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.