Narrative:

As part of my participation in the albuquerque international balloon fiesta, I launched off field and flew to the designated target area with several corrections for wind direction. After leveling out on my final approach at 30', while concentrating on the target area, I let the balloon cool more than I realized. Although I dropped the marker from over 25', the balloon descended to a ht of about 6' in an area where spectators had been observing the competition. The officials on the ground, not knowing whether I would descend even lower, had dispersed the crowd. Although I was in control of my aircraft, with no threat either to the aircraft or its passenger, I was concerned by the potential proximity of my balloon to the spectators if they had not dispersed. Factors contributing to this incident include the following: 1) unfamiliarity with the higher albuquerque altitude. The response time to my burning was not what I expected even though I had anticipated a slower response based on prior yrs experience in other balloon fiestas. This was a particularly warm day and the balloon seemed unusually less responsive than I would have expected. 2) because of a personal schedule conflict, I did not arrive in albuquerque in time for the mass ascensions on sat and sun, which would have helped acclimate me to the WX and the altitude prior to the competition flts. In fact, this was my first flight at the fiesta. 3) I had been informed by an official at check in that the federal aviation regulations had been waived, the marker must be thrown from between 200 and 25' AGL, and that I could choose to land at the field after tossing the marker, but that I must then deflate and not fly again. Because of this, I was in fact surprised to find spectator downwind of the target area which is where one would have to have landed after throwing at the target. As I flew out of the target area at about 6' and climbing, an official called to me that I was lower than 25'. I responded that I had tossed my marker from over 25'. I looked back for a response and he waved me off. I proceeded on to a normal landing approximately 1 mi away. This word from the official was the first indication I had that I might have violated the competition rules. After landing, I spoke with an official who said he would get back to me. I suggested to him that spectators not be allowed to stand downwind of the target.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON FLEW VERY LOW OVER SPECTATORS DURING FLYING MEET.

Narrative: AS PART OF MY PARTICIPATION IN THE ALBUQUERQUE INTL BALLOON FIESTA, I LAUNCHED OFF FIELD AND FLEW TO THE DESIGNATED TARGET AREA WITH SEVERAL CORRECTIONS FOR WIND DIRECTION. AFTER LEVELING OUT ON MY FINAL APCH AT 30', WHILE CONCENTRATING ON THE TARGET AREA, I LET THE BALLOON COOL MORE THAN I REALIZED. ALTHOUGH I DROPPED THE MARKER FROM OVER 25', THE BALLOON DSNDED TO A HT OF ABOUT 6' IN AN AREA WHERE SPECTATORS HAD BEEN OBSERVING THE COMPETITION. THE OFFICIALS ON THE GND, NOT KNOWING WHETHER I WOULD DSND EVEN LOWER, HAD DISPERSED THE CROWD. ALTHOUGH I WAS IN CONTROL OF MY ACFT, WITH NO THREAT EITHER TO THE ACFT OR ITS PAX, I WAS CONCERNED BY THE POTENTIAL PROX OF MY BALLOON TO THE SPECTATORS IF THEY HAD NOT DISPERSED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE HIGHER ALBUQUERQUE ALT. THE RESPONSE TIME TO MY BURNING WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED EVEN THOUGH I HAD ANTICIPATED A SLOWER RESPONSE BASED ON PRIOR YRS EXPERIENCE IN OTHER BALLOON FIESTAS. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY WARM DAY AND THE BALLOON SEEMED UNUSUALLY LESS RESPONSIVE THAN I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. 2) BECAUSE OF A PERSONAL SCHEDULE CONFLICT, I DID NOT ARRIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE IN TIME FOR THE MASS ASCENSIONS ON SAT AND SUN, WHICH WOULD HAVE HELPED ACCLIMATE ME TO THE WX AND THE ALT PRIOR TO THE COMPETITION FLTS. IN FACT, THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT AT THE FIESTA. 3) I HAD BEEN INFORMED BY AN OFFICIAL AT CHK IN THAT THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGS HAD BEEN WAIVED, THE MARKER MUST BE THROWN FROM BTWN 200 AND 25' AGL, AND THAT I COULD CHOOSE TO LAND AT THE FIELD AFTER TOSSING THE MARKER, BUT THAT I MUST THEN DEFLATE AND NOT FLY AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THIS, I WAS IN FACT SURPRISED TO FIND SPECTATOR DOWNWIND OF THE TARGET AREA WHICH IS WHERE ONE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE LANDED AFTER THROWING AT THE TARGET. AS I FLEW OUT OF THE TARGET AREA AT ABOUT 6' AND CLBING, AN OFFICIAL CALLED TO ME THAT I WAS LOWER THAN 25'. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD TOSSED MY MARKER FROM OVER 25'. I LOOKED BACK FOR A RESPONSE AND HE WAVED ME OFF. I PROCEEDED ON TO A NORMAL LNDG APPROX 1 MI AWAY. THIS WORD FROM THE OFFICIAL WAS THE FIRST INDICATION I HAD THAT I MIGHT HAVE VIOLATED THE COMPETITION RULES. AFTER LNDG, I SPOKE WITH AN OFFICIAL WHO SAID HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME. I SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT SPECTATORS NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND DOWNWIND OF THE TARGET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.