Balloon pilot lands at street intersection in proximity of houses. Visible signs of impending unstab...

Attributes
ACN	365559
Time
Date	199704
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ifp
State Reference	AZ
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 : 40 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	365559
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At the conclusion of a pleasure flight from laughlin, nv, to bullhead city, az, approximately 4 mi, I decided to terminate the flight. Having passed over several vacant lots I descended to tree top level where the wind was extremely light and variable. This was over an area of mixed use housing and single family residences. The landing site I had chosen was an intersection. I requested and was granted permission, from several local residents, to land in the intersection. The chase crew was on site and I landed with their assistance. I deflated and packed up the system in the street. There was no property damage or injury to passenger or by-standers. I decided to land based upon fuel remaining, approximately 50%. Possible landing sites remaining and the winds aloft, which were southerly, the fields to the south showed several dust- devils (thermal activity). I believe that further flight in a southerly direction would have been unsafe. The winds aloft were accelerating and dropping lower to the surface. Within 20 mins winds reported from the bullhead city airport were 15 mph with gusts to 33 mph. Several local policemen arrived and information was exchanged. The policemen are deciding whether to issue citation(south) or not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON PLT LANDS AT STREET INTXN IN PROX OF HOUSES. VISIBLE SIGNS OF IMPENDING UNSTABLE WX CONDITIONS WERE EVIDENT TO PLT. HAD ASKED PERMISSION FROM RESIDENTS FOR LNDG PERMISSION. POLICE MAY ISSUE CITATIONS.

Narrative: AT THE CONCLUSION OF A PLEASURE FLT FROM LAUGHLIN, NV, TO BULLHEAD CITY, AZ, APPROX 4 MI, I DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE FLT. HAVING PASSED OVER SEVERAL VACANT LOTS I DSNDED TO TREE TOP LEVEL WHERE THE WIND WAS EXTREMELY LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THIS WAS OVER AN AREA OF MIXED USE HOUSING AND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES. THE LNDG SITE I HAD CHOSEN WAS AN INTXN. I REQUESTED AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION, FROM SEVERAL LCL RESIDENTS, TO LAND IN THE INTXN. THE CHASE CREW WAS ON SITE AND I LANDED WITH THEIR ASSISTANCE. I DEFLATED AND PACKED UP THE SYS IN THE STREET. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY TO PAX OR BY-STANDERS. I DECIDED TO LAND BASED UPON FUEL REMAINING, APPROX 50%. POSSIBLE LNDG SITES REMAINING AND THE WINDS ALOFT, WHICH WERE SOUTHERLY, THE FIELDS TO THE S SHOWED SEVERAL DUST- DEVILS (THERMAL ACTIVITY). I BELIEVE THAT FURTHER FLT IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. THE WINDS ALOFT WERE ACCELERATING AND DROPPING LOWER TO THE SURFACE. WITHIN 20 MINS WINDS RPTED FROM THE BULLHEAD CITY ARPT WERE 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 33 MPH. SEVERAL LCL POLICEMEN ARRIVED AND INFO WAS EXCHANGED. THE POLICEMEN ARE DECIDING WHETHER TO ISSUE CITATION(S) OR NOT.

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.

Balloon pilot lands at street intersection in proximity of houses. Visible signs of impending unstable WX conditions were evident to pilot. Had asked permission from residents for landing permission. Police may issue citations.