Narrative:

On oct/thu/03, I went to work at approximately XA30, called FSS at about XA45. Visibility 10 mi north, 5 KTS, clear. Napa airport is about 15 mi south of our launch site. Winds aloft were out of the northeast between 10 and 15 KTS. Launched balloon with a full passenger load at about XC30. Climbed to 600 ft to avoid some country homes. The temperature inversion at approximately 450 ft was extreme. At 500 ft I could see that there was fog now south and east of napa. It was completely covering the airport and all of our landing sites to the south, southeast of napa. The fog was from the surface to about 100 ft. I went down low over the vineyards (about 100 ft) to try to get a favorable direction. I ran out of room as I approached the city of napa (1000 FPM). As I climbed over napa -- 500 ft to 650 ft the winds changed from southeast to southwest. About 8 KTS from 650 ft to 900 ft south about 8 KTS from 900 ft to 1200 ft south about 14 KTS. South and southeast would have taken me directly to the fog, so I went down to 500 ft to 650 ft to get the southwest winds. I did not try to go higher because with the extreme temperature inversion at 1200 ft the envelope temperature was 278 degrees. You should not exceed 275 degrees with maximum continuous operating temperature of 250 degrees. I called my crew and sent them to a large open field in the city of napa. The winds changed from southwest to south when I went below 500 ft and I missed that spot. I then sent them to a location approximately 1/2 mi down the street to another field. The winds below 650 ft were not staying consistent. I missed that field. I then sent the crew to a large park. As I made my approach the winds below 200 ft shifted from south to north. By this time I had been flying 45 mins and had used 65% of my fuel. I opted to stay low in a very slow wind of less than 1 KT moving me from north at times to ene and anywhere in between. I landed on a street off of lincoln ave in a quiet neighborhood in the city of napa. I had used approximately 70% of my fuel and there was not enough room to deflate the balloon where I was. I could see that the balloons that were about 2000 ft now had a lot of west which would take them away from the fog, so I decided to launch again. I added full fuel tanks and had only 8 passenger instead of 12. The lighter load made it easy to get to the altitude I needed to stay away from the fog and get to a better landing site. The cause of the unscheduled landing in napa was the fog which was not there when I called FSS. Without the fog I could have stayed at altitude and overflown the city of napa and landed safely on the south side in large open fields.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BALLOON PLT IS FACED WITH A CATCH 22 SIT AND HAS TO LAND HIS 12 PAX BALLOON IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD STREET WHEN FOG INTERFERES WITH HIS ORIGINAL PLAN OF OVERFLYING THE CITY OF NAPA, 6 NM N OF APC, CA.

Narrative: ON OCT/THU/03, I WENT TO WORK AT APPROX XA30, CALLED FSS AT ABOUT XA45. VISIBILITY 10 MI N, 5 KTS, CLR. NAPA ARPT IS ABOUT 15 MI S OF OUR LAUNCH SITE. WINDS ALOFT WERE OUT OF THE NE BTWN 10 AND 15 KTS. LAUNCHED BALLOON WITH A FULL PAX LOAD AT ABOUT XC30. CLBED TO 600 FT TO AVOID SOME COUNTRY HOMES. THE TEMP INVERSION AT APPROX 450 FT WAS EXTREME. AT 500 FT I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS FOG NOW S AND E OF NAPA. IT WAS COMPLETELY COVERING THE ARPT AND ALL OF OUR LNDG SITES TO THE S, SE OF NAPA. THE FOG WAS FROM THE SURFACE TO ABOUT 100 FT. I WENT DOWN LOW OVER THE VINEYARDS (ABOUT 100 FT) TO TRY TO GET A FAVORABLE DIRECTION. I RAN OUT OF ROOM AS I APCHED THE CITY OF NAPA (1000 FPM). AS I CLBED OVER NAPA -- 500 FT TO 650 FT THE WINDS CHANGED FROM SE TO SW. ABOUT 8 KTS FROM 650 FT TO 900 FT S ABOUT 8 KTS FROM 900 FT TO 1200 FT S ABOUT 14 KTS. S AND SE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME DIRECTLY TO THE FOG, SO I WENT DOWN TO 500 FT TO 650 FT TO GET THE SW WINDS. I DID NOT TRY TO GO HIGHER BECAUSE WITH THE EXTREME TEMP INVERSION AT 1200 FT THE ENVELOPE TEMP WAS 278 DEGS. YOU SHOULD NOT EXCEED 275 DEGS WITH MAX CONTINUOUS OPERATING TEMP OF 250 DEGS. I CALLED MY CREW AND SENT THEM TO A LARGE OPEN FIELD IN THE CITY OF NAPA. THE WINDS CHANGED FROM SW TO S WHEN I WENT BELOW 500 FT AND I MISSED THAT SPOT. I THEN SENT THEM TO A LOCATION APPROX 1/2 MI DOWN THE STREET TO ANOTHER FIELD. THE WINDS BELOW 650 FT WERE NOT STAYING CONSISTENT. I MISSED THAT FIELD. I THEN SENT THE CREW TO A LARGE PARK. AS I MADE MY APCH THE WINDS BELOW 200 FT SHIFTED FROM S TO N. BY THIS TIME I HAD BEEN FLYING 45 MINS AND HAD USED 65% OF MY FUEL. I OPTED TO STAY LOW IN A VERY SLOW WIND OF LESS THAN 1 KT MOVING ME FROM N AT TIMES TO ENE AND ANYWHERE IN BTWN. I LANDED ON A STREET OFF OF LINCOLN AVE IN A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF NAPA. I HAD USED APPROX 70% OF MY FUEL AND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO DEFLATE THE BALLOON WHERE I WAS. I COULD SEE THAT THE BALLOONS THAT WERE ABOUT 2000 FT NOW HAD A LOT OF W WHICH WOULD TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THE FOG, SO I DECIDED TO LAUNCH AGAIN. I ADDED FULL FUEL TANKS AND HAD ONLY 8 PAX INSTEAD OF 12. THE LIGHTER LOAD MADE IT EASY TO GET TO THE ALT I NEEDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE FOG AND GET TO A BETTER LNDG SITE. THE CAUSE OF THE UNSCHEDULED LNDG IN NAPA WAS THE FOG WHICH WAS NOT THERE WHEN I CALLED FSS. WITHOUT THE FOG I COULD HAVE STAYED AT ALT AND OVERFLOWN THE CITY OF NAPA AND LANDED SAFELY ON THE S SIDE IN LARGE OPEN FIELDS.

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.