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A balloon pilot attempting to land in open field experiences unfavorable winds forcing him to land in a farmer's alfalfa field who then becomes aggressive towards the balloon pilot and his 3 female passenger.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 453317 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tcy.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 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 | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 453317 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Qualification | other other : tractor operator |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : obs2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
After a missed approach to a vacant field due to a surprising high ground wind, I decided to land as soon as possible. I landed successfully on a very large, dry, freshly mowed alfalfa field. There was no damage to the balloon or anything on the ground. After the balloon was deflated, we were told to fly on. This was now impossible. The farm worker called the land owner. The land owner threatened me and my crew (3 handsome ladies) and threatened to 'confiscate' my balloon. It appeared that he was trying to get me to swing at him. I declined. He told us to stop the pack-up process until the sheriff arrived. The sheriff/patrolman lectured me briefly on trespass. The sheriff/patrolman and land owner watched as we took the balloon apart and carried it about 100 meters to the van.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BALLOON PLT ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN OPEN FIELD EXPERIENCES UNFAVORABLE WINDS FORCING HIM TO LAND IN A FARMER'S ALFALFA FIELD WHO THEN BECOMES AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS THE BALLOON PLT AND HIS 3 FEMALE PAX.
Narrative: AFTER A MISSED APCH TO A VACANT FIELD DUE TO A SURPRISING HIGH GND WIND, I DECIDED TO LAND ASAP. I LANDED SUCCESSFULLY ON A VERY LARGE, DRY, FRESHLY MOWED ALFALFA FIELD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR ANYTHING ON THE GND. AFTER THE BALLOON WAS DEFLATED, WE WERE TOLD TO FLY ON. THIS WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE. THE FARM WORKER CALLED THE LAND OWNER. THE LAND OWNER THREATENED ME AND MY CREW (3 HANDSOME LADIES) AND THREATENED TO 'CONFISCATE' MY BALLOON. IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET ME TO SWING AT HIM. I DECLINED. HE TOLD US TO STOP THE PACK-UP PROCESS UNTIL THE SHERIFF ARRIVED. THE SHERIFF/PATROLMAN LECTURED ME BRIEFLY ON TRESPASS. THE SHERIFF/PATROLMAN AND LAND OWNER WATCHED AS WE TOOK THE BALLOON APART AND CARRIED IT ABOUT 100 METERS TO THE VAN.
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.