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Hot air balloon landed in school parking lot. Reporter says it was planned. Media called it an emergency landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 164621 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ca19 |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 26 flight time total : 1537 flight time type : 320 |
| ASRS Report | 164621 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
While flying in my hot air balloon I was discussing possible landing sites over the radio with my ground crew. The administrator at a local high school overheard my conversation and asked me if I could land at the school. I expressed my concern about disrupting classes. They said we were welcome, so I maneuvered the balloon for about 30 mins and finally landed in the front parking lot. Many students were let out of class and I took the administrator and assistant up on a tethered ride, then we took the balloon down. I answered some questions for who I thought was a student. The next day the headline in the local paper stated hot air balloon makes emergency landing at high school. I contacted the paper to find out why they used such a headline. The reporter felt that when I took off and did not have a predetermined landing site, I was making an unscheduled landing, and that constitutes an emergency. I am filing this report to clarify the situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT. REPORTER SAYS IT WAS PLANNED. MEDIA CALLED IT AN EMERGENCY LNDG.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING IN MY HOT AIR BALLOON I WAS DISCUSSING POSSIBLE LNDG SITES OVER THE RADIO WITH MY GND CREW. THE ADMINISTRATOR AT A LCL HIGH SCHOOL OVERHEARD MY CONVERSATION AND ASKED ME IF I COULD LAND AT THE SCHOOL. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT DISRUPTING CLASSES. THEY SAID WE WERE WELCOME, SO I MANEUVERED THE BALLOON FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AND FINALLY LANDED IN THE FRONT PARKING LOT. MANY STUDENTS WERE LET OUT OF CLASS AND I TOOK THE ADMINISTRATOR AND ASSISTANT UP ON A TETHERED RIDE, THEN WE TOOK THE BALLOON DOWN. I ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS FOR WHO I THOUGHT WAS A STUDENT. THE NEXT DAY THE HEADLINE IN THE LCL PAPER STATED HOT AIR BALLOON MAKES EMER LNDG AT HIGH SCHOOL. I CONTACTED THE PAPER TO FIND OUT WHY THEY USED SUCH A HEADLINE. THE RPTR FELT THAT WHEN I TOOK OFF AND DID NOT HAVE A PREDETERMINED LNDG SITE, I WAS MAKING AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG, AND THAT CONSTITUTES AN EMER. I AM FILING THIS RPT TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION.
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.