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Pilot of a hot air balloon landed in a city street after waiting over 1 hour 40 mins for a wind to move out of the congested area. Wind after takeoff and subsequent wind direction was not forecasted. There was no damage to balloon or occupants.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 401310 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sln |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000 |
| 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 : 4 flight time total : 410 flight time type : 410 |
| ASRS Report | 401310 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Normal pleasure flight with 1 crew as passenger. WX indicated light, 5 KTS from north -- took off at XA00. After 10 mins airborne, wind from south at 3 KTS, winds now took us across town, rather than away from town as predicted. Flew 45 mins trying to clear town. At 1800 ft tried to land in large 1 block square grass area. At 400 ft AGL encountered thermal which took us to 3000 ft AGL. Tried to land 9 more times -- finally at XB40 broke through thermal and landed in city street at 1 KT. No damage to balloon or occupants. Normal landing. All WX sources did not indicate possibility of thermals. Should not have been on may/sun/98, at 22 degrees C. Need better method of detecting thermals prior to flight. The landing within the city in a street was mandated due to an emergency condition caused by the thermals and the inability to catch any wind that would take me out of town.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED IN A CITY STREET AFTER WAITING OVER 1 HR 40 MINS FOR A WIND TO MOVE OUT OF THE CONGESTED AREA. WIND AFTER TKOF AND SUBSEQUENT WIND DIRECTION WAS NOT FORECASTED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO BALLOON OR OCCUPANTS.
Narrative: NORMAL PLEASURE FLT WITH 1 CREW AS PAX. WX INDICATED LIGHT, 5 KTS FROM N -- TOOK OFF AT XA00. AFTER 10 MINS AIRBORNE, WIND FROM S AT 3 KTS, WINDS NOW TOOK US ACROSS TOWN, RATHER THAN AWAY FROM TOWN AS PREDICTED. FLEW 45 MINS TRYING TO CLR TOWN. AT 1800 FT TRIED TO LAND IN LARGE 1 BLOCK SQUARE GRASS AREA. AT 400 FT AGL ENCOUNTERED THERMAL WHICH TOOK US TO 3000 FT AGL. TRIED TO LAND 9 MORE TIMES -- FINALLY AT XB40 BROKE THROUGH THERMAL AND LANDED IN CITY STREET AT 1 KT. NO DAMAGE TO BALLOON OR OCCUPANTS. NORMAL LNDG. ALL WX SOURCES DID NOT INDICATE POSSIBILITY OF THERMALS. SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON MAY/SUN/98, AT 22 DEGS C. NEED BETTER METHOD OF DETECTING THERMALS PRIOR TO FLT. THE LNDG WITHIN THE CITY IN A STREET WAS MANDATED DUE TO AN EMER CONDITION CAUSED BY THE THERMALS AND THE INABILITY TO CATCH ANY WIND THAT WOULD TAKE ME OUT OF TOWN.
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.