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Hot air balloon pilot, thinking he was landing on a grassy field, landed on a field of OAT hay. High winds dragged him 400 ft through the hay causing about $24 of crop damage.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 363126 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tcy |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| 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 | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 870 |
| ASRS Report | 363126 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I landed my hot air balloon in a field that I had idented as being wild grass. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. The field was a crop of OAT hay. During the course of the landing, the basket drag flattened a strip of OAT hay approximately 5 ft by 400 ft. There was no damage to the aircraft or injury. The landing was normal except for the crop damage. My inquiry with a farming association indicated that the maximum damage value was $24. Still, I'm embarrassed by my mistake and I endeavor to do better at crop identify in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT, THINKING HE WAS LNDG ON A GRASSY FIELD, LANDED ON A FIELD OF OAT HAY. HIGH WINDS DRAGGED HIM 400 FT THROUGH THE HAY CAUSING ABOUT $24 OF CROP DAMAGE.
Narrative: I LANDED MY HOT AIR BALLOON IN A FIELD THAT I HAD IDENTED AS BEING WILD GRASS. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS MISTAKEN. THE FIELD WAS A CROP OF OAT HAY. DURING THE COURSE OF THE LNDG, THE BASKET DRAG FLATTENED A STRIP OF OAT HAY APPROX 5 FT BY 400 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR INJURY. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR THE CROP DAMAGE. MY INQUIRY WITH A FARMING ASSOCIATION INDICATED THAT THE MAX DAMAGE VALUE WAS $24. STILL, I'M EMBARRASSED BY MY MISTAKE AND I ENDEAVOR TO DO BETTER AT CROP IDENT IN THE FUTURE.
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.