Narrative:

After contacting the local flight service station for a briefing, I scheduled a flight using that information. It was calling for the winds to remain at or around 180 degrees at 7-8 mph until after sunset. I went out to the northern fringes of wichita, expecting to go north at least 5 or 6 mi before landing. This is very open country and quite accessible for ballooning. I lifted off from the parking lot of a county fire station. This is a site I have used on numerous occasions. I let go of a pyball to rechk my wind direction before I inflated my balloon. It indicated a wind to the north. There was a period of about 30 mins from the time I released the pyball until I had my balloon inflated and ready for liftoff. Unknown to me until I actually lifted off was the fact that the winds just died completely. I first floated over a golf course and then over a large set of electrical wires. I hung over these wires for about 20 mins. I finally found a breeze that started me going east, but it soon died out as I was over a 4 lane freeway. I told my passenger that I was going to land at the first opportunity. The winds went variable and I continued to crisscross back and forth over the freeway. I was attempting to land in a field on the east side of the freeway. My crew caught my drop line at the first chance they had and pulled me over to a field, east of the freeway, off of state property. I ceased operations at that time and packed up the balloon. Just before I deflated the balloon, a state trooper pulled up and informed me that he had received calls from motorists who thought I was in trouble and he came out to check on me. There were no accidents or injuries as a result of this situation. I admit that I was probably flying too low over this traffic, but I was trying my best to find a breeze to help me cross this road so I could land as soon and safely as possible. I did not want to continue this flight and possibly get stranded over some power lines. I feel this situation came about due to a high pressure system that moved in faster than was predicted. In the future I will try harder to determine the possibility of such an event happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AFTER BEING STRANDED ABOVE PWR LINES IN A NO WIND CONDITION IN THE VICINITY OF A FREEWAY, WHICH CAUSED A KANSAS TROOPER TO INVESTIGATE.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING THE LCL FLT SVC STATION FOR A BRIEFING, I SCHEDULED A FLT USING THAT INFO. IT WAS CALLING FOR THE WINDS TO REMAIN AT OR AROUND 180 DEGS AT 7-8 MPH UNTIL AFTER SUNSET. I WENT OUT TO THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF WICHITA, EXPECTING TO GO N AT LEAST 5 OR 6 MI BEFORE LNDG. THIS IS VERY OPEN COUNTRY AND QUITE ACCESSIBLE FOR BALLOONING. I LIFTED OFF FROM THE PARKING LOT OF A COUNTY FIRE STATION. THIS IS A SITE I HAVE USED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I LET GO OF A PYBALL TO RECHK MY WIND DIRECTION BEFORE I INFLATED MY BALLOON. IT INDICATED A WIND TO THE N. THERE WAS A PERIOD OF ABOUT 30 MINS FROM THE TIME I RELEASED THE PYBALL UNTIL I HAD MY BALLOON INFLATED AND READY FOR LIFTOFF. UNKNOWN TO ME UNTIL I ACTUALLY LIFTED OFF WAS THE FACT THAT THE WINDS JUST DIED COMPLETELY. I FIRST FLOATED OVER A GOLF COURSE AND THEN OVER A LARGE SET OF ELECTRICAL WIRES. I HUNG OVER THESE WIRES FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. I FINALLY FOUND A BREEZE THAT STARTED ME GOING E, BUT IT SOON DIED OUT AS I WAS OVER A 4 LANE FREEWAY. I TOLD MY PAX THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. THE WINDS WENT VARIABLE AND I CONTINUED TO CRISSCROSS BACK AND FORTH OVER THE FREEWAY. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A FIELD ON THE E SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. MY CREW CAUGHT MY DROP LINE AT THE FIRST CHANCE THEY HAD AND PULLED ME OVER TO A FIELD, E OF THE FREEWAY, OFF OF STATE PROPERTY. I CEASED OPS AT THAT TIME AND PACKED UP THE BALLOON. JUST BEFORE I DEFLATED THE BALLOON, A STATE TROOPER PULLED UP AND INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD RECEIVED CALLS FROM MOTORISTS WHO THOUGHT I WAS IN TROUBLE AND HE CAME OUT TO CHK ON ME. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS SIT. I ADMIT THAT I WAS PROBABLY FLYING TOO LOW OVER THIS TFC, BUT I WAS TRYING MY BEST TO FIND A BREEZE TO HELP ME CROSS THIS ROAD SO I COULD LAND AS SOON AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE THIS FLT AND POSSIBLY GET STRANDED OVER SOME PWR LINES. I FEEL THIS SIT CAME ABOUT DUE TO A HIGH PRESSURE SYS THAT MOVED IN FASTER THAN WAS PREDICTED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRY HARDER TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH AN EVENT HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.