Hordes of balloons descending into fields used for landing areas create an atmosphere ripe for groun...

Attributes
ACN	624742
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 40
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9.5 flight time total : 96.5 flight time type : 96.5
ASRS Report	624742
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed missed approach flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

I was landing my lighter than air balloon in a field. 5 or 6 balloons had already landed and were laying down in various stages. There were another 5-6 balloons landing with me as well. As I got about 50 ft from my designated landing spot, another flight crew moved their balloon towards a road for parking. Their path was directly across my landing approach. I immediately burned 2-3 times to arrest my landing and go over the balloon suddenly in my way. After clearing this balloon, my aircraft began to descend to the ground again. Behind the first balloon was another crew moving their balloon towards the road. I settled my basket into the top of the second balloon and waited for my buoyancy to reset and lift me off of this envelope. That occurred and I flew off to a landing about 1/2 mi to the north. No damage to either aircraft was noted. It is not normal for a flight crew to move the aircraft with other balloons on approach. As I flew over the first balloon in my path, the pilot yelled up to me and apologized for this action. I need to yell louder to ensure in the future that ground/flight crews truly know that I am on a final approach. I also need to be more aware of aircraft that could become obstacles to my landing decision. I had thought in advance where my alternate landing site could be. I then switched to the first alternate site for a successful approach and landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HORDES OF BALLOONS DSNDING INTO FIELDS USED FOR LNDG AREAS CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE RIPE FOR GND ENCOUNTERS WITH ALREADY LANDED BALLOONS AT A BALLOON RALLY IN WISCONSIN.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG MY LIGHTER THAN AIR BALLOON IN A FIELD. 5 OR 6 BALLOONS HAD ALREADY LANDED AND WERE LAYING DOWN IN VARIOUS STAGES. THERE WERE ANOTHER 5-6 BALLOONS LNDG WITH ME AS WELL. AS I GOT ABOUT 50 FT FROM MY DESIGNATED LNDG SPOT, ANOTHER FLT CREW MOVED THEIR BALLOON TOWARDS A ROAD FOR PARKING. THEIR PATH WAS DIRECTLY ACROSS MY LNDG APCH. I IMMEDIATELY BURNED 2-3 TIMES TO ARREST MY LNDG AND GO OVER THE BALLOON SUDDENLY IN MY WAY. AFTER CLRING THIS BALLOON, MY ACFT BEGAN TO DSND TO THE GND AGAIN. BEHIND THE FIRST BALLOON WAS ANOTHER CREW MOVING THEIR BALLOON TOWARDS THE ROAD. I SETTLED MY BASKET INTO THE TOP OF THE SECOND BALLOON AND WAITED FOR MY BUOYANCY TO RESET AND LIFT ME OFF OF THIS ENVELOPE. THAT OCCURRED AND I FLEW OFF TO A LNDG ABOUT 1/2 MI TO THE N. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER ACFT WAS NOTED. IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR A FLT CREW TO MOVE THE ACFT WITH OTHER BALLOONS ON APCH. AS I FLEW OVER THE FIRST BALLOON IN MY PATH, THE PLT YELLED UP TO ME AND APOLOGIZED FOR THIS ACTION. I NEED TO YELL LOUDER TO ENSURE IN THE FUTURE THAT GND/FLT CREWS TRULY KNOW THAT I AM ON A FINAL APCH. I ALSO NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF ACFT THAT COULD BECOME OBSTACLES TO MY LNDG DECISION. I HAD THOUGHT IN ADVANCE WHERE MY ALTERNATE LNDG SITE COULD BE. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE FIRST ALTERNATE SITE FOR A SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG.

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.

Hordes of balloons descending into fields used for landing areas create an atmosphere ripe for ground encounters with already landed balloons at a balloon rally in wisconsin.