Narrative:

Aircraft was participating in a hot air balloon and competition meet may/sat/92 in tallahassee, fl. The event was conducted under a waiver approved by the us department of transportation. Specifically, the far section and number to be waived was section 91.119 (B) & (C). Except as it applies to persons or property on the surface. On the morning of may/sat/92, the WX briefing called for southwesterly surface winds at 240 degrees at 5-6 KTS. Otherwise, the conditions were clear with no NOTAMS or turbulence in the area. Winds at 3000 ft were estimated at 270 degrees at 10 KTS. The competitive event called for that morning was a circumnavigational trajectory event (cnt) (see FAA handbook 8700.1 chp 4). The task required all aircraft to fly in from a distance of 3 NM to the falls chase subdivision, approximately 10.3 NM ene of the control zone of tallahassee municipal airport. Following completion of the task, all aircraft had been instructed to land as soon as possible because of the many large tree-lined areas in the vicinity which are unsuitable for free-balloon flying events. Upon approach to landing in an undeveloped meadow, the landing was aborted as a result of a small tree farm in the landing pattern. The hot air balloon made a second approach to landing and landed successfully in the front yard of a residence adjacent to the meadow in calm surface wind conditions with the consent of the property owner. Another balloon had also made a successful landing in the area immediately south of the residence side yard. In order to accomplish the landing successfully, it was necessary to fly over a structure at an altitude of 75 ft AGL or less. The final landing site was also within 75 ft of the primary residence on the property and the spectators who had gathered to observe the event, in violation of the operative far and waiver certificate. A contributing factor to the pilot's judgement in making the landing as indicated above was a lack of familiarity of the local topography. Although the aircraft maintained adequate fuel to select a more appropriate landing site, there was no guarantee that a site would be found that was more suitable for landing a hot air balloon safely. The flight might have been conducted in conformity with operational FARS had the pilot been more thoroughly briefed on potential landing sites within the immediate vicinity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT MAKES LOW ALT APCH AND LANDS TOO CLOSE TO STRUCTURE AND PERSONS IN VIOLATION OF WAIVER.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PARTICIPATING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON AND COMPETITION MEET MAY/SAT/92 IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. THE EVENT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER A WAIVER APPROVED BY THE US DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION. SPECIFICALLY, THE FAR SECTION AND NUMBER TO BE WAIVED WAS SECTION 91.119 (B) & (C). EXCEPT AS IT APPLIES TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE. ON THE MORNING OF MAY/SAT/92, THE WX BRIEFING CALLED FOR SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS AT 240 DEGS AT 5-6 KTS. OTHERWISE, THE CONDITIONS WERE CLR WITH NO NOTAMS OR TURB IN THE AREA. WINDS AT 3000 FT WERE ESTIMATED AT 270 DEGS AT 10 KTS. THE COMPETITIVE EVENT CALLED FOR THAT MORNING WAS A CIRCUMNAVIGATIONAL TRAJECTORY EVENT (CNT) (SEE FAA HANDBOOK 8700.1 CHP 4). THE TASK REQUIRED ALL ACFT TO FLY IN FROM A DISTANCE OF 3 NM TO THE FALLS CHASE SUBDIVISION, APPROX 10.3 NM ENE OF THE CTL ZONE OF TALLAHASSEE MUNICIPAL ARPT. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE TASK, ALL ACFT HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE MANY LARGE TREE-LINED AREAS IN THE VICINITY WHICH ARE UNSUITABLE FOR FREE-BALLOON FLYING EVENTS. UPON APCH TO LNDG IN AN UNDEVELOPED MEADOW, THE LNDG WAS ABORTED AS A RESULT OF A SMALL TREE FARM IN THE LNDG PATTERN. THE HOT AIR BALLOON MADE A SECOND APCH TO LNDG AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE FRONT YARD OF A RESIDENCE ADJACENT TO THE MEADOW IN CALM SURFACE WIND CONDITIONS WITH THE CONSENT OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. ANOTHER BALLOON HAD ALSO MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN THE AREA IMMEDIATELY S OF THE RESIDENCE SIDE YARD. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE LNDG SUCCESSFULLY, IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY OVER A STRUCTURE AT AN ALT OF 75 FT AGL OR LESS. THE FINAL LNDG SITE WAS ALSO WITHIN 75 FT OF THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE ON THE PROPERTY AND THE SPECTATORS WHO HAD GATHERED TO OBSERVE THE EVENT, IN VIOLATION OF THE OPERATIVE FAR AND WAIVER CERTIFICATE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE PLT'S JUDGEMENT IN MAKING THE LNDG AS INDICATED ABOVE WAS A LACK OF FAMILIARITY OF THE LCL TOPOGRAPHY. ALTHOUGH THE ACFT MAINTAINED ADEQUATE FUEL TO SELECT A MORE APPROPRIATE LNDG SITE, THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT A SITE WOULD BE FOUND THAT WAS MORE SUITABLE FOR LNDG A HOT AIR BALLOON SAFELY. THE FLT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN CONFORMITY WITH OPERATIONAL FARS HAD THE PLT BEEN MORE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED ON POTENTIAL LNDG SITES WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY.

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.