Pilot of a hot air balloon believed that an angry property owner may have shot at his balloon when h...

Narrative:

During hot air balloon flight on aug/xa/00, I was on approach to land in a cut hay or scrub field just north of friend road south of germantown, oh. Flight originated in field near intersection of state route 4 and weaver road northeast of germantown at XA15. Winds above 500 ft AGL were from approximately 080 degrees, below 500 ft AGL approximately from 355 degrees. I flew west over germantown at 1000 ft AGL to approximately the intersection of mudlick rd and state route 725. I descended to 500 ft AGL to turn southward. At approximately XA35 I saw a field bordering friend road and decided to land on that field. I descended to 30 ft AGL over a corn field to turn further sse. After 2 mins, I climbed back to 300 ft AGL with the intent to overfly a farm, then land on the field in front of the farm. As I approached the farm property, a person came out and began screaming at me to 'get out of here.' as I passed over the property, the person became more enraged, and I chose to abort my landing. I apologized to the person and burned to add altitude. The person continued to curse me regardless of my apologies and as we passed the front of the farm, both I and my crew member in the basket heard what we believe was a gunshot. Neither I nor my crew member can say we saw a weapon, but we both are convinced that someone discharged a weapon in the vicinity. After aborting my approach, I continued west and south, landing in a field next to brown's run road at XB22. I am filing this report to protect myself from an accusation of breaking minimum altitude requirements. I acknowledge that I was below 1000 ft AGL over this property -- I was on approach to land. I have not pursued the possibility that a weapon was discharged in the vicinity, nor do I intend to unless the property owner contacts the FAA with a complaint. Please note that my map of the area indicated no 'red zones' in the vicinity of my initially chosen landing site. I had no reason to believe that a landing in that field or the approach over the farm would generate the violent reaction on the part of the land owner that it did.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON BELIEVED THAT AN ANGRY PROPERTY OWNER MAY HAVE SHOT AT HIS BALLOON WHEN HE PASSED OVER RANCH PROPERTY AT A LOW ALT IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG IN A FIELD JUST BEYOND THE RANCH BUILDINGS.

Narrative: DURING HOT AIR BALLOON FLT ON AUG/XA/00, I WAS ON APCH TO LAND IN A CUT HAY OR SCRUB FIELD JUST N OF FRIEND ROAD S OF GERMANTOWN, OH. FLT ORIGINATED IN FIELD NEAR INTXN OF STATE RTE 4 AND WEAVER ROAD NE OF GERMANTOWN AT XA15. WINDS ABOVE 500 FT AGL WERE FROM APPROX 080 DEGS, BELOW 500 FT AGL APPROX FROM 355 DEGS. I FLEW W OVER GERMANTOWN AT 1000 FT AGL TO APPROX THE INTXN OF MUDLICK RD AND STATE RTE 725. I DSNDED TO 500 FT AGL TO TURN SOUTHWARD. AT APPROX XA35 I SAW A FIELD BORDERING FRIEND ROAD AND DECIDED TO LAND ON THAT FIELD. I DSNDED TO 30 FT AGL OVER A CORN FIELD TO TURN FURTHER SSE. AFTER 2 MINS, I CLBED BACK TO 300 FT AGL WITH THE INTENT TO OVERFLY A FARM, THEN LAND ON THE FIELD IN FRONT OF THE FARM. AS I APCHED THE FARM PROPERTY, A PERSON CAME OUT AND BEGAN SCREAMING AT ME TO 'GET OUT OF HERE.' AS I PASSED OVER THE PROPERTY, THE PERSON BECAME MORE ENRAGED, AND I CHOSE TO ABORT MY LNDG. I APOLOGIZED TO THE PERSON AND BURNED TO ADD ALT. THE PERSON CONTINUED TO CURSE ME REGARDLESS OF MY APOLOGIES AND AS WE PASSED THE FRONT OF THE FARM, BOTH I AND MY CREW MEMBER IN THE BASKET HEARD WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS A GUNSHOT. NEITHER I NOR MY CREW MEMBER CAN SAY WE SAW A WEAPON, BUT WE BOTH ARE CONVINCED THAT SOMEONE DISCHARGED A WEAPON IN THE VICINITY. AFTER ABORTING MY APCH, I CONTINUED W AND S, LNDG IN A FIELD NEXT TO BROWN'S RUN ROAD AT XB22. I AM FILING THIS RPT TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM AN ACCUSATION OF BREAKING MINIMUM ALT REQUIREMENTS. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS BELOW 1000 FT AGL OVER THIS PROPERTY -- I WAS ON APCH TO LAND. I HAVE NOT PURSUED THE POSSIBILITY THAT A WEAPON WAS DISCHARGED IN THE VICINITY, NOR DO I INTEND TO UNLESS THE PROPERTY OWNER CONTACTS THE FAA WITH A COMPLAINT. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY MAP OF THE AREA INDICATED NO 'RED ZONES' IN THE VICINITY OF MY INITIALLY CHOSEN LNDG SITE. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A LNDG IN THAT FIELD OR THE APCH OVER THE FARM WOULD GENERATE THE VIOLENT REACTION ON THE PART OF THE LAND OWNER THAT IT DID.

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	482603
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 49 flight time type : 49
ASRS Report	482603
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Pilot of a hot air balloon believed that an angry property owner may have shot at his balloon when he passed over ranch property at a low altitude in preparation for landing in a field just beyond the ranch buildings.