Narrative:

On aug/wed/04, I flew my hot air balloon with 2 passenger over the city of woodburn, or, a congested area at an altitude of less than 1000 ft AGL. I landed in a vacant lot within city limits with the help of my crew using a dropline so I obviously descended all the way to 0 AGL at some point in the flight. About 50 mins into the flight I made an approach to a large field just outside of the congested area, but I decided it was early enough in the flight and conditions where fine to fly on. Up unto that point travel was approximately 4-6 mph. I ascended to 1100 ft to comply with the far's on flying over a congested area, but the wind had both shifted and appeared to be dying out (down 1 mph) and was taking me in a direction in which I thought would leave me stranded over the city of woodburn. I descended to 500 ft in a belief that the wind would take the balloon in a direction that would skirt the congested area, but it had shifted and took me directly over the congested area. Since I still had approximately 3-4 mph travel at that altitude I decided to navigation to one of a couple of landing options in the direction of travel. By this time it was approximately 1.25 hours into the flight. My greatest concern was that conditions were going to change in such a way that I would either be stranded over the city or that lower level winds would pick up and create a hazardous landing situation. As it was I landed in a residential area using a vacant lot. I was within 50 ft of a vacant building and trees when the crew of 4 people, using a dropline for control, helped me land the balloon. We moved the balloon to a large vacant lot and safely deflated. At no time did I perceive that any people or property were in danger of harm or damage, which could only have occurred due to power system failure, which has never happened on this aircraft. The problem arose when I decided to fly on rather than land in a conveniently located field outside of the congested area. I saw one balloon land safely in the first field I approached. I saw 4 other balloons decide to fly on and avoid flying over the congested area which contributed to my decision to fly on. Other contributing factors was that I felt pressure to give my passenger a ride of at least an hour's length or more and had not reached that time when approaching the first field, and I was not familiar with the flying area. In hindsight and after talking to other balloon pilots flying in the same area at the same time I would have: a) landed in the first field and B) if I had decided again to fly on I would have remained at over 1000 ft AGL and patiently waited for the winds to take me out of the congested area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLIES BELOW 1000 FT OVER A CONGESTED AREA AND THEN DECIDES TO LAND THE ACFT IN A VACANT LOT IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA DUE TO UNPLANNED WINDS.

Narrative: ON AUG/WED/04, I FLEW MY HOT AIR BALLOON WITH 2 PAX OVER THE CITY OF WOODBURN, OR, A CONGESTED AREA AT AN ALT OF LESS THAN 1000 FT AGL. I LANDED IN A VACANT LOT WITHIN CITY LIMITS WITH THE HELP OF MY CREW USING A DROPLINE SO I OBVIOUSLY DSNDED ALL THE WAY TO 0 AGL AT SOME POINT IN THE FLT. ABOUT 50 MINS INTO THE FLT I MADE AN APCH TO A LARGE FIELD JUST OUTSIDE OF THE CONGESTED AREA, BUT I DECIDED IT WAS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE FLT AND CONDITIONS WHERE FINE TO FLY ON. UP UNTO THAT POINT TRAVEL WAS APPROX 4-6 MPH. I ASCENDED TO 1100 FT TO COMPLY WITH THE FAR'S ON FLYING OVER A CONGESTED AREA, BUT THE WIND HAD BOTH SHIFTED AND APPEARED TO BE DYING OUT (DOWN 1 MPH) AND WAS TAKING ME IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD LEAVE ME STRANDED OVER THE CITY OF WOODBURN. I DSNDED TO 500 FT IN A BELIEF THAT THE WIND WOULD TAKE THE BALLOON IN A DIRECTION THAT WOULD SKIRT THE CONGESTED AREA, BUT IT HAD SHIFTED AND TOOK ME DIRECTLY OVER THE CONGESTED AREA. SINCE I STILL HAD APPROX 3-4 MPH TRAVEL AT THAT ALT I DECIDED TO NAV TO ONE OF A COUPLE OF LNDG OPTIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. BY THIS TIME IT WAS APPROX 1.25 HRS INTO THE FLT. MY GREATEST CONCERN WAS THAT CONDITIONS WERE GOING TO CHANGE IN SUCH A WAY THAT I WOULD EITHER BE STRANDED OVER THE CITY OR THAT LOWER LEVEL WINDS WOULD PICK UP AND CREATE A HAZARDOUS LNDG SIT. AS IT WAS I LANDED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA USING A VACANT LOT. I WAS WITHIN 50 FT OF A VACANT BUILDING AND TREES WHEN THE CREW OF 4 PEOPLE, USING A DROPLINE FOR CTL, HELPED ME LAND THE BALLOON. WE MOVED THE BALLOON TO A LARGE VACANT LOT AND SAFELY DEFLATED. AT NO TIME DID I PERCEIVE THAT ANY PEOPLE OR PROPERTY WERE IN DANGER OF HARM OR DAMAGE, WHICH COULD ONLY HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO PWR SYS FAILURE, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED ON THIS ACFT. THE PROB AROSE WHEN I DECIDED TO FLY ON RATHER THAN LAND IN A CONVENIENTLY LOCATED FIELD OUTSIDE OF THE CONGESTED AREA. I SAW ONE BALLOON LAND SAFELY IN THE FIRST FIELD I APCHED. I SAW 4 OTHER BALLOONS DECIDE TO FLY ON AND AVOID FLYING OVER THE CONGESTED AREA WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MY DECISION TO FLY ON. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS THAT I FELT PRESSURE TO GIVE MY PAX A RIDE OF AT LEAST AN HR'S LENGTH OR MORE AND HAD NOT REACHED THAT TIME WHEN APCHING THE FIRST FIELD, AND I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FLYING AREA. IN HINDSIGHT AND AFTER TALKING TO OTHER BALLOON PLTS FLYING IN THE SAME AREA AT THE SAME TIME I WOULD HAVE: A) LANDED IN THE FIRST FIELD AND B) IF I HAD DECIDED AGAIN TO FLY ON I WOULD HAVE REMAINED AT OVER 1000 FT AGL AND PATIENTLY WAITED FOR THE WINDS TO TAKE ME OUT OF THE CONGESTED AREA.

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.