Narrative:

We were about the 14TH-16TH balloon to take off. We ascended to about 1800 ft AGL above the south end of fiesta field. Wind almost calm. View below balloons taking off up to about 600 ft; 5-8 mph. Balloons above 700-1000 ft AGL; 10-12 mph. Descended to about 1000 ft AGL. Stated tracking ssw passed over alameda and paseo del norte (about 1 mi). Continued ssw over residential area. About 1 more mi; decided to try and land in large open area; osuna and vista del norte (landed there more than a dozen times before). Advised passenger of planned landing. Slow descent to about 500 ft AGL. About 1500 ft from final landing spot; started to descend again due to the changing wind speed. Passed over a small park and tracked directly over. Short street which was a dead-ended at the north end of a condo complex. Estimated wind speed 8-10 mph. Passed over first row of 2-STORY roof condos by about 30 ft. Balloon began to descend; started burn (felt like a false lift situation). Continued burn. Balloon recovered to about 3 ft short of clearing 2-STORY condo roof peak. Bounced over peak and began burn again. As basket swung out balloon lost about 8-10 ft of altitude. Still burning; balloon recovered to about 6 ft short of clearing second structure (2-STORY) roof peak. Hit roof; drug over peak; burned again and cleared remaining 2 structures before getting over landing field at about 80 ft AGL. We landed about 400 ft (past the south wall of the condo complex) which is about 1/2 way through the field. We drug after rib-out landing; about 60 ft before stopping. Checked all passenger and no one was injured. No injuries on the ground or in the aircraft. Damage to balloon basket minimal. No structural damage to roofs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON STRIKES CONDOMINIUMS ON LANDING APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT THE 14TH-16TH BALLOON TO TAKE OFF. WE ASCENDED TO ABOUT 1800 FT AGL ABOVE THE S END OF FIESTA FIELD. WIND ALMOST CALM. VIEW BELOW BALLOONS TAKING OFF UP TO ABOUT 600 FT; 5-8 MPH. BALLOONS ABOVE 700-1000 FT AGL; 10-12 MPH. DSNDED TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. STATED TRACKING SSW PASSED OVER ALAMEDA AND PASEO DEL NORTE (ABOUT 1 MI). CONTINUED SSW OVER RESIDENTIAL AREA. ABOUT 1 MORE MI; DECIDED TO TRY AND LAND IN LARGE OPEN AREA; OSUNA AND VISTA DEL NORTE (LANDED THERE MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE). ADVISED PAX OF PLANNED LNDG. SLOW DSCNT TO ABOUT 500 FT AGL. ABOUT 1500 FT FROM FINAL LNDG SPOT; STARTED TO DSND AGAIN DUE TO THE CHANGING WIND SPD. PASSED OVER A SMALL PARK AND TRACKED DIRECTLY OVER. SHORT STREET WHICH WAS A DEAD-ENDED AT THE N END OF A CONDO COMPLEX. ESTIMATED WIND SPD 8-10 MPH. PASSED OVER FIRST ROW OF 2-STORY ROOF CONDOS BY ABOUT 30 FT. BALLOON BEGAN TO DSND; STARTED BURN (FELT LIKE A FALSE LIFT SITUATION). CONTINUED BURN. BALLOON RECOVERED TO ABOUT 3 FT SHORT OF CLRING 2-STORY CONDO ROOF PEAK. BOUNCED OVER PEAK AND BEGAN BURN AGAIN. AS BASKET SWUNG OUT BALLOON LOST ABOUT 8-10 FT OF ALT. STILL BURNING; BALLOON RECOVERED TO ABOUT 6 FT SHORT OF CLRING SECOND STRUCTURE (2-STORY) ROOF PEAK. HIT ROOF; DRUG OVER PEAK; BURNED AGAIN AND CLRED REMAINING 2 STRUCTURES BEFORE GETTING OVER LNDG FIELD AT ABOUT 80 FT AGL. WE LANDED ABOUT 400 FT (PAST THE S WALL OF THE CONDO COMPLEX) WHICH IS ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE FIELD. WE DRUG AFTER RIB-OUT LNDG; ABOUT 60 FT BEFORE STOPPING. CHKED ALL PAX AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. NO INJURIES ON THE GND OR IN THE ACFT. DAMAGE TO BALLOON BASKET MINIMAL. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO ROOFS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.