Hot air balloon pilot landed in IMC conditions, caused by fog.

Attributes
ACN	408264
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	408264
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was conducting a commercial lighter-than-air flight, launching from cardiff, ca. I received the flight service station report at XA00, with the intention to launch at XC00. A very thick marine layer of dense fog was hugging the coast, and was not forecast to move in until that evening. We launched behind a ridge, unable to see the fog status until we were airborne. The fog was rapidly advancing, and was thick all the way down to ground level. I made one attempt to land immediately, but I was caught in a 'finger' of advancing fog about 1 mi wide, with very low visibility. I then decided to fly above the finger (which topped at about 400 ft AGL) and land in a clearing on the far side. Because of the fog, I had to make a very long, low approach over homes, violating the 1000 ft minimum altitude requirement. I safely landed in a field south of rancho santa flight engineer, with a massive fog bank to my west. My faith in flight service's prediction largely contributed to the error. I should have launched further inland realizing that approximating the time of the fog advance is very difficult to predict. This also would have allowed me more time and visibility to land immediately after takeoff, without getting caught in the bank. The launch site choice would have made the difference between a legal/illegal flight, and a safer one. Better flight planning for this type of unpredictable hazard was and is the correctable action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN IMC CONDITIONS, CAUSED BY FOG.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A COMMERCIAL LIGHTER-THAN-AIR FLT, LAUNCHING FROM CARDIFF, CA. I RECEIVED THE FLT SVC STATION RPT AT XA00, WITH THE INTENTION TO LAUNCH AT XC00. A VERY THICK MARINE LAYER OF DENSE FOG WAS HUGGING THE COAST, AND WAS NOT FORECAST TO MOVE IN UNTIL THAT EVENING. WE LAUNCHED BEHIND A RIDGE, UNABLE TO SEE THE FOG STATUS UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE. THE FOG WAS RAPIDLY ADVANCING, AND WAS THICK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO GND LEVEL. I MADE ONE ATTEMPT TO LAND IMMEDIATELY, BUT I WAS CAUGHT IN A 'FINGER' OF ADVANCING FOG ABOUT 1 MI WIDE, WITH VERY LOW VISIBILITY. I THEN DECIDED TO FLY ABOVE THE FINGER (WHICH TOPPED AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL) AND LAND IN A CLRING ON THE FAR SIDE. BECAUSE OF THE FOG, I HAD TO MAKE A VERY LONG, LOW APCH OVER HOMES, VIOLATING THE 1000 FT MINIMUM ALT REQUIREMENT. I SAFELY LANDED IN A FIELD S OF RANCHO SANTA FE, WITH A MASSIVE FOG BANK TO MY W. MY FAITH IN FLT SVC'S PREDICTION LARGELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. I SHOULD HAVE LAUNCHED FURTHER INLAND REALIZING THAT APPROXIMATING THE TIME OF THE FOG ADVANCE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. THIS ALSO WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME MORE TIME AND VISIBILITY TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT IN THE BANK. THE LAUNCH SITE CHOICE WOULD HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE BTWN A LEGAL/ILLEGAL FLT, AND A SAFER ONE. BETTER FLT PLANNING FOR THIS TYPE OF UNPREDICTABLE HAZARD WAS AND IS THE CORRECTABLE ACTION.

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.