Narrative:

While attending the red river balloon festival at shreveport, la, I was flying a lighter-than-air balloon. At the time of inflation and takeoff, the launch field was under marginal conditions with some ground fog in the surrounding areas. A low ceiling was reported by the on-site meteorologist, but clearance to inflate and takeoff was given. Immediately after takeoff, I was instructed to land. To comply, I flew over a downwind pwrline, and landed without incident safely on a levee. Total time in flight was 5 mins and distance covered was 100 yards. 2 other balloons in the festival also took off and landed in a nearby area. The FAA requested my paperwork including license, registration, and airworthiness certificate. I showed him my license but was unable to produce the certificate of airworthiness. Later that day, I contacted the owner of the aircraft who told me that it had been removed without my knowledge at a recent annual. I had not checked the aircraft for this paperwork when picking it up. The certificate of airworthiness was forwarded to the FAA with a note of explanation that to the best of my knowledge, foreign registered aircraft do not require a united states registration. This incident could have been avoided by having launch directors on the field to give final approval for liftoff in marginal WX conditions. Also, I would use a preflight checklist which is back to basics. I will spend time in remedial training with an FAA designee to review the procedures to avoid this type incident in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FOUND THAT HE HAD NO CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS IN THE ACFT WHILE FLYING.

Narrative: WHILE ATTENDING THE RED RIVER BALLOON FESTIVAL AT SHREVEPORT, LA, I WAS FLYING A LIGHTER-THAN-AIR BALLOON. AT THE TIME OF INFLATION AND TKOF, THE LAUNCH FIELD WAS UNDER MARGINAL CONDITIONS WITH SOME GND FOG IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. A LOW CEILING WAS RPTED BY THE ON-SITE METEOROLOGIST, BUT CLRNC TO INFLATE AND TKOF WAS GIVEN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND. TO COMPLY, I FLEW OVER A DOWNWIND PWRLINE, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT SAFELY ON A LEVEE. TOTAL TIME IN FLT WAS 5 MINS AND DISTANCE COVERED WAS 100 YARDS. 2 OTHER BALLOONS IN THE FESTIVAL ALSO TOOK OFF AND LANDED IN A NEARBY AREA. THE FAA REQUESTED MY PAPERWORK INCLUDING LICENSE, REGISTRATION, AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. I SHOWED HIM MY LICENSE BUT WAS UNABLE TO PRODUCE THE CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS. LATER THAT DAY, I CONTACTED THE OWNER OF THE ACFT WHO TOLD ME THAT IT HAD BEEN REMOVED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE AT A RECENT ANNUAL. I HAD NOT CHKED THE ACFT FOR THIS PAPERWORK WHEN PICKING IT UP. THE CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS WAS FORWARDED TO THE FAA WITH A NOTE OF EXPLANATION THAT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, FOREIGN REGISTERED ACFT DO NOT REQUIRE A UNITED STATES REGISTRATION. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY HAVING LAUNCH DIRECTORS ON THE FIELD TO GIVE FINAL APPROVAL FOR LIFTOFF IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS. ALSO, I WOULD USE A PREFLT CHKLIST WHICH IS BACK TO BASICS. I WILL SPEND TIME IN REMEDIAL TRAINING WITH AN FAA DESIGNEE TO REVIEW THE PROCS TO AVOID THIS TYPE INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE.

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.