Balloon pilot lands in residential area due to unexpected wind conditions.

Attributes
ACN	618870
Time
Date	200405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n99.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 2343.9 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	618870
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I planned and began a flight for 6 paying passenger from my launch field. Surface winds were light with forecast winds aloft from wnw. Once airborne, I found that all winds from ground level to 2500 ft AGL were headed south towards the city. I found no good landing sites along the route until 55 mins into the 60 min planned flight. There was a relatively new neighborhood stretching across our path with big yards, underground wiring, and down in a valley likely insuring gentle winds and an easy landing. I made the landing on a front lawn and let the basket slide forward to the street. It is possible I was closer to the homes than 200 ft as I approached and landed. I did not have time to measure. A neighbor came out, yelling at us and stated he had called the police. He and his wife displayed an irrational level of anger and began trying to incite their neighbors. All the other neighbors were smiling and unconcerned. I decided that that area was not as suitable for deflation as it appeared from the air. Too many plantings and small trees, I burned and lifted off and landed in a larger area 1/4 mi closer to the city. If the winds at 3000 ft had been as forecasted, I never would have gone that direction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON PLT LANDS IN RESIDENTIAL AREA DUE TO UNEXPECTED WIND CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I PLANNED AND BEGAN A FLT FOR 6 PAYING PAX FROM MY LAUNCH FIELD. SURFACE WINDS WERE LIGHT WITH FORECAST WINDS ALOFT FROM WNW. ONCE AIRBORNE, I FOUND THAT ALL WINDS FROM GND LEVEL TO 2500 FT AGL WERE HEADED S TOWARDS THE CITY. I FOUND NO GOOD LNDG SITES ALONG THE RTE UNTIL 55 MINS INTO THE 60 MIN PLANNED FLT. THERE WAS A RELATIVELY NEW NEIGHBORHOOD STRETCHING ACROSS OUR PATH WITH BIG YARDS, UNDERGROUND WIRING, AND DOWN IN A VALLEY LIKELY INSURING GENTLE WINDS AND AN EASY LNDG. I MADE THE LNDG ON A FRONT LAWN AND LET THE BASKET SLIDE FORWARD TO THE STREET. IT IS POSSIBLE I WAS CLOSER TO THE HOMES THAN 200 FT AS I APCHED AND LANDED. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MEASURE. A NEIGHBOR CAME OUT, YELLING AT US AND STATED HE HAD CALLED THE POLICE. HE AND HIS WIFE DISPLAYED AN IRRATIONAL LEVEL OF ANGER AND BEGAN TRYING TO INCITE THEIR NEIGHBORS. ALL THE OTHER NEIGHBORS WERE SMILING AND UNCONCERNED. I DECIDED THAT THAT AREA WAS NOT AS SUITABLE FOR DEFLATION AS IT APPEARED FROM THE AIR. TOO MANY PLANTINGS AND SMALL TREES, I BURNED AND LIFTED OFF AND LANDED IN A LARGER AREA 1/4 MI CLOSER TO THE CITY. IF THE WINDS AT 3000 FT HAD BEEN AS FORECASTED, I NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE THAT DIRECTION.

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.