Narrative:

I launched my balloon from yolo county fairgnds. While climbing to altitude I noticed a thick haze turning to fog forming on the west side of town (woodland, ca). Fog is normal here in winter but highly unusual in summer. Concerned that this fog would progress and develop rapidly beneath and around me, dropping visibility to below VFR minimums, I immediately announced my intention to land as soon as possible to my passenger and by radio to my chase crew on the ground. I also had the crew advise another pilot, still inflating at fairgnds, that unforecasted fog was developing and I suggested he abort his flight, which he did. At 1000 ft AGL there was virtually no wind movement. As it was my desire to fly out of town, clearing the congested areas below me, I descended to 600 or 700 ft AGL and found a slow east wind that would carry me away from fog. Unfortunately this wind was very slow, perhaps 1 or 2 mph, and I was concerned I would not be able to clear city limits in time to find suitable landing site before fog caught up to me. A block or 2 ahead in my flight path was a small open park area with an adjacent school parking lot and wide street. The area was clear of pwrlines and other obstructions so I began an attempt to land. I instructed my passenger of my plans, briefed her, then radioed my chase crew of my intent to land asking them to get under me in the event I chose to execute a drop-line landing. As I continued the landing approach variable surface winds began to move the balloon just slightly left of the intended flight path until, as I leveled off at roof-top height, it became apparent I could not land safely in the park or parking lot. 2 crew members were beneath me so I momentarily considered a drop-line landing by having them pull me down into the street. Many residents had emerged from their homes, most talking and waving to us and saying how beautiful the balloon was. My passenger noted 1 man saying 'you can't land here', though I did not see or her this. With that many people around and 2 crew untrained in drop-line procedures, I decided the risk of landing was too great, climbed back to 500-700 ft AGL where I slowly drifted out of town until I executed a safe landing in a cut hayfield. Fortunately the fog was localized to the west side of town, my east flight path carried me away from it and VFR mins were maintained throughout the flight. Several balloons launching earlier than I were blown west and landed because of the developing fog.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HOT AIR BALLOON ATTEMPTING EARLY LNDG BECAUSE OF FOG WAS UNABLE IN RESIDENTIAL AREA, ASCENDED AND EVENTUALLY DRIFTED TO AN OPEN FIELD OUTSIDE OF TOWN.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED MY BALLOON FROM YOLO COUNTY FAIRGNDS. WHILE CLBING TO ALT I NOTICED A THICK HAZE TURNING TO FOG FORMING ON THE W SIDE OF TOWN (WOODLAND, CA). FOG IS NORMAL HERE IN WINTER BUT HIGHLY UNUSUAL IN SUMMER. CONCERNED THAT THIS FOG WOULD PROGRESS AND DEVELOP RAPIDLY BENEATH AND AROUND ME, DROPPING VISIBILITY TO BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, I IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO LAND ASAP TO MY PAX AND BY RADIO TO MY CHASE CREW ON THE GND. I ALSO HAD THE CREW ADVISE ANOTHER PLT, STILL INFLATING AT FAIRGNDS, THAT UNFORECASTED FOG WAS DEVELOPING AND I SUGGESTED HE ABORT HIS FLT, WHICH HE DID. AT 1000 FT AGL THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO WIND MOVEMENT. AS IT WAS MY DESIRE TO FLY OUT OF TOWN, CLRING THE CONGESTED AREAS BELOW ME, I DSNDED TO 600 OR 700 FT AGL AND FOUND A SLOW E WIND THAT WOULD CARRY ME AWAY FROM FOG. UNFORTUNATELY THIS WIND WAS VERY SLOW, PERHAPS 1 OR 2 MPH, AND I WAS CONCERNED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLR CITY LIMITS IN TIME TO FIND SUITABLE LNDG SITE BEFORE FOG CAUGHT UP TO ME. A BLOCK OR 2 AHEAD IN MY FLT PATH WAS A SMALL OPEN PARK AREA WITH AN ADJACENT SCHOOL PARKING LOT AND WIDE STREET. THE AREA WAS CLR OF PWRLINES AND OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS SO I BEGAN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND. I INSTRUCTED MY PAX OF MY PLANS, BRIEFED HER, THEN RADIOED MY CHASE CREW OF MY INTENT TO LAND ASKING THEM TO GET UNDER ME IN THE EVENT I CHOSE TO EXECUTE A DROP-LINE LNDG. AS I CONTINUED THE LNDG APCH VARIABLE SURFACE WINDS BEGAN TO MOVE THE BALLOON JUST SLIGHTLY L OF THE INTENDED FLT PATH UNTIL, AS I LEVELED OFF AT ROOF-TOP HEIGHT, IT BECAME APPARENT I COULD NOT LAND SAFELY IN THE PARK OR PARKING LOT. 2 CREW MEMBERS WERE BENEATH ME SO I MOMENTARILY CONSIDERED A DROP-LINE LNDG BY HAVING THEM PULL ME DOWN INTO THE STREET. MANY RESIDENTS HAD EMERGED FROM THEIR HOMES, MOST TALKING AND WAVING TO US AND SAYING HOW BEAUTIFUL THE BALLOON WAS. MY PAX NOTED 1 MAN SAYING 'YOU CAN'T LAND HERE', THOUGH I DID NOT SEE OR HER THIS. WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE AROUND AND 2 CREW UNTRAINED IN DROP-LINE PROCS, I DECIDED THE RISK OF LNDG WAS TOO GREAT, CLBED BACK TO 500-700 FT AGL WHERE I SLOWLY DRIFTED OUT OF TOWN UNTIL I EXECUTED A SAFE LNDG IN A CUT HAYFIELD. FORTUNATELY THE FOG WAS LOCALIZED TO THE W SIDE OF TOWN, MY E FLT PATH CARRIED ME AWAY FROM IT AND VFR MINS WERE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE FLT. SEVERAL BALLOONS LAUNCHING EARLIER THAN I WERE BLOWN W AND LANDED BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPING FOG.

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.