A hot air balloon pilot was issued a citation by a security guard at a veterans administration hospi...

Attributes
ACN	221456
Time
Date	199209
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lns
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lrd
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 228 flight time type : 228
ASRS Report	221456
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Hot air balloon flight. Emergency landing without landing permission. WX briefing gave wind at 7 KTS out of 140 degrees. Upon liftoff, noted wind to be out of 230 degrees at only 1-2 KTS. Almost immediately became all but becalmed over high tension electrical lines for about 15 mins, then slowly drifted over trees toward a veterans administration hospital. After a flight time of over 40 mins (1/2 mi) I approached a small road in front of the veterans administration hospital (about 200-300 ft in front of the hospital). My crewman in the chase truck radioed that the security guard could neither give, nor withhold permission to land, since this was federal property. There were 2 problems which led to the decision to make an emergency landing. The first was a triple run of high tension lines lying just beyond and behind the veterans hospital, there was a very real danger of becoming becalmed over them. The second reason was that I noticed what I felt was a mild odor of propane, perhaps from a fuel line slow leak, thus presenting a potential onboard fire danger. After landing, I closed all fuel tanks and purged the lines of propane. The security guard took my name and number, and told me that he would have to file a report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WAS ISSUED A CITATION BY A SECURITY GUARD AT A VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL FOR LNDG WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE BALLOON WAS NEARLY BECALMED AND MAY HAVE HAD A PROPANE LEAK.

Narrative: HOT AIR BALLOON FLT. EMER LNDG WITHOUT LNDG PERMISSION. WX BRIEFING GAVE WIND AT 7 KTS OUT OF 140 DEGS. UPON LIFTOFF, NOTED WIND TO BE OUT OF 230 DEGS AT ONLY 1-2 KTS. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BECAME ALL BUT BECALMED OVER HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL LINES FOR ABOUT 15 MINS, THEN SLOWLY DRIFTED OVER TREES TOWARD A VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL. AFTER A FLT TIME OF OVER 40 MINS (1/2 MI) I APCHED A SMALL ROAD IN FRONT OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL (ABOUT 200-300 FT IN FRONT OF THE HOSPITAL). MY CREWMAN IN THE CHASE TRUCK RADIOED THAT THE SECURITY GUARD COULD NEITHER GIVE, NOR WITHHOLD PERMISSION TO LAND, SINCE THIS WAS FEDERAL PROPERTY. THERE WERE 2 PROBLEMS WHICH LED TO THE DECISION TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. THE FIRST WAS A TRIPLE RUN OF HIGH TENSION LINES LYING JUST BEYOND AND BEHIND THE VETERANS HOSPITAL, THERE WAS A VERY REAL DANGER OF BECOMING BECALMED OVER THEM. THE SECOND REASON WAS THAT I NOTICED WHAT I FELT WAS A MILD ODOR OF PROPANE, PERHAPS FROM A FUEL LINE SLOW LEAK, THUS PRESENTING A POTENTIAL ONBOARD FIRE DANGER. AFTER LNDG, I CLOSED ALL FUEL TANKS AND PURGED THE LINES OF PROPANE. THE SECURITY GUARD TOOK MY NAME AND NUMBER, AND TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RPT.

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.

A hot air balloon pilot was issued a citation by a security guard at a veterans administration hospital for landing without permission. The balloon was nearly becalmed and may have had a propane leak.