Private pilot of a hot air balloon landed on a city street without permission of the city government...

Narrative:

On nov/sat/97, at approximately XX00 hours I began a routine flight from the marketplace shopping center here in bakersfield in hot air balloon. The flight was a promotional. The first leg of the flight included an official and his wife as passenger. Shortly after lift-off the official said that he needed to set down as soon as possible as he had another function to attend. We flew approximately 15 mins then set down on the median of a city street, let the passenger out, then lifted off again. This second leg of the flight began at approximately XX20 hours, ascending to 1100 ft. After 45 mins of flight time, at various altitudes, moving in circles 3-5 blocks from the marketplace I felt that the winds would not move the craft to the potential landing site. I discovered a wide road on the outskirts of town. It is unencumbered by trees and power lines and safe for a balloon landing. The ground crew was radioed and a safe landing occurred. Approximately 10 mins after landing a local police officer arrived at the site and began to accuse me of obstructing 'his' street and creating an accident. He detained the crew and I and prevented us from bagging the envelope and putting the envelope and basket into the trailer causing me to be concerned for the aircraft and the public as they began to watch the dialog between the officer and myself. This is a general lack of knowledge on the part of local law enforcement and fire officials concerning their role in dealing with aircraft, especially hot air balloons. Since the balloons are at the mercy of the wind and landing spots that are soft may include vacant fields, roadside shoulders and parking lots, it is reasonable to assume that a pilot would choose one of these locations rather than trying to fly beyond fuel safety margin when flying in and around urban areas. There were no injuries of any kind, no damage to property, the balloon had more then sufficient fuel -- there was no accident. The FAA aviation safety division might spend time with local public safety personnel to inform them of the balloon procedures and safe operations. This would help prevent unnecessary police and fire response and reaction to what they perceive as 'illegal balloon flts and landing.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED ON A CITY STREET WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE CITY GOV RESULTING IN A POLICE OFFICER DETAINING THE RPTR IN PACKING UP THE BALLOON AND REMOVING IT FROM THE STREET.

Narrative: ON NOV/SAT/97, AT APPROX XX00 HRS I BEGAN A ROUTINE FLT FROM THE MARKETPLACE SHOPPING CTR HERE IN BAKERSFIELD IN HOT AIR BALLOON. THE FLT WAS A PROMOTIONAL. THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLT INCLUDED AN OFFICIAL AND HIS WIFE AS PAX. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT HE NEEDED TO SET DOWN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS HE HAD ANOTHER FUNCTION TO ATTEND. WE FLEW APPROX 15 MINS THEN SET DOWN ON THE MEDIAN OF A CITY STREET, LET THE PAX OUT, THEN LIFTED OFF AGAIN. THIS SECOND LEG OF THE FLT BEGAN AT APPROX XX20 HRS, ASCENDING TO 1100 FT. AFTER 45 MINS OF FLT TIME, AT VARIOUS ALTS, MOVING IN CIRCLES 3-5 BLOCKS FROM THE MARKETPLACE I FELT THAT THE WINDS WOULD NOT MOVE THE CRAFT TO THE POTENTIAL LNDG SITE. I DISCOVERED A WIDE ROAD ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN. IT IS UNENCUMBERED BY TREES AND PWR LINES AND SAFE FOR A BALLOON LNDG. THE GND CREW WAS RADIOED AND A SAFE LNDG OCCURRED. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER LNDG A LCL POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED AT THE SITE AND BEGAN TO ACCUSE ME OF OBSTRUCTING 'HIS' STREET AND CREATING AN ACCIDENT. HE DETAINED THE CREW AND I AND PREVENTED US FROM BAGGING THE ENVELOPE AND PUTTING THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET INTO THE TRAILER CAUSING ME TO BE CONCERNED FOR THE ACFT AND THE PUBLIC AS THEY BEGAN TO WATCH THE DIALOG BTWN THE OFFICER AND MYSELF. THIS IS A GENERAL LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF LCL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE OFFICIALS CONCERNING THEIR ROLE IN DEALING WITH ACFT, ESPECIALLY HOT AIR BALLOONS. SINCE THE BALLOONS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE WIND AND LNDG SPOTS THAT ARE SOFT MAY INCLUDE VACANT FIELDS, ROADSIDE SHOULDERS AND PARKING LOTS, IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT A PLT WOULD CHOOSE ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS RATHER THAN TRYING TO FLY BEYOND FUEL SAFETY MARGIN WHEN FLYING IN AND AROUND URBAN AREAS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OF ANY KIND, NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, THE BALLOON HAD MORE THEN SUFFICIENT FUEL -- THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY DIVISION MIGHT SPEND TIME WITH LCL PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL TO INFORM THEM OF THE BALLOON PROCS AND SAFE OPS. THIS WOULD HELP PREVENT UNNECESSARY POLICE AND FIRE RESPONSE AND REACTION TO WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS 'ILLEGAL BALLOON FLTS AND LNDG.'

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.

Attributes
ACN	384791
Time
Date	199711
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sna
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 : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 230
ASRS Report	384791
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Private pilot of a hot air balloon landed on a city street without permission of the city government resulting in a police officer detaining the reporter in packing up the balloon and removing it from the street.