Narrative:

I launched at XA25 from ZZZ, us. I flew about 45 mins and was looking for a landing site. About 45 mins later, I finally had a landing site. I was making an approach when encountered false lift. Realizing the false lift, heated the balloon but the envelope brushed against some trees. The tree branches tore some small holes in the lower section of the envelope. Because I was heating the balloon, it started to ascend and I flew past the landing site. I continued to look for landing sites and stayed low so I could land as soon as possible. There were no landing sites. I knew I was approaching the ZZZ, us, class D airspace which is 20 statue miles from launch site. I did not have an aircraft radio on board because I had no intentions of flying this distance or for 1 hour and 45 mins. I did not approach any safe landing sites and flew into the class D airspace without contacting the tower. I stayed low so I could land as soon as possible if I came upon a landing site because of the damage to the envelope. I was one mile south of runway with a heading of 8 degrees. I land safely about 1 mile to the east of the runway. There were no injuries to the crew. In the future, I will contact the control tower before entering class D airspace. Total flight time was 2 hours and 15 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED AT XA25 FROM ZZZ, US. I FLEW ABOUT 45 MINS AND WAS LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE. ABOUT 45 MINS LATER, I FINALLY HAD A LNDG SITE. I WAS MAKING AN APCH WHEN ENCOUNTERED FALSE LIFT. REALIZING THE FALSE LIFT, HEATED THE BALLOON BUT THE ENVELOPE BRUSHED AGAINST SOME TREES. THE TREE BRANCHES TORE SOME SMALL HOLES IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE ENVELOPE. BECAUSE I WAS HEATING THE BALLOON, IT STARTED TO ASCEND AND I FLEW PAST THE LNDG SITE. I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR LNDG SITES AND STAYED LOW SO I COULD LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THERE WERE NO LNDG SITES. I KNEW I WAS APCHING THE ZZZ, US, CLASS D AIRSPACE WHICH IS 20 STATUE MILES FROM LAUNCH SITE. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACFT RADIO ON BOARD BECAUSE I HAD NO INTENTIONS OF FLYING THIS DISTANCE OR FOR 1 HR AND 45 MINS. I DID NOT APCH ANY SAFE LNDG SITES AND FLEW INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR. I STAYED LOW SO I COULD LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF I CAME UPON A LNDG SITE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE. I WAS ONE MILE S OF RWY WITH A HEADING OF 8 DEGS. I LAND SAFELY ABOUT 1 MILE TO THE E OF THE RWY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CONTACT THE CTL TWR BEFORE ENTERING CLASS D AIRSPACE. TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 2 HRS AND 15 MINS.

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.