A hot air balloon landed on a highway cloverleaf.

Attributes
ACN	244907
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1050 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	244907
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Situation: competitive balloon event. Launch delayed by organizers due to wind direction. Flight finally started 50 mins prior to sunset. I became concerned with lack of landing sites and closeness to sunset. Finally, with only 15 mins before sunset, I landed in the center of a highway cloverleaf -- on state-owned right-of-way. We deflated and left without causing damage to any persons or property. Local police recorded my registration number and driver's license number. The error was mine in accepting the judgement of the event officials concerning acceptable landing sites in the flight direction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the FAA has not contacted this pilot, nor has the local police.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED ON A HWY CLOVERLEAF.

Narrative: SIT: COMPETITIVE BALLOON EVENT. LAUNCH DELAYED BY ORGANIZERS DUE TO WIND DIRECTION. FLT FINALLY STARTED 50 MINS PRIOR TO SUNSET. I BECAME CONCERNED WITH LACK OF LNDG SITES AND CLOSENESS TO SUNSET. FINALLY, WITH ONLY 15 MINS BEFORE SUNSET, I LANDED IN THE CTR OF A HWY CLOVERLEAF -- ON STATE-OWNED RIGHT-OF-WAY. WE DEFLATED AND LEFT WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY. LCL POLICE RECORDED MY REGISTRATION NUMBER AND DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER. THE ERROR WAS MINE IN ACCEPTING THE JUDGEMENT OF THE EVENT OFFICIALS CONCERNING ACCEPTABLE LNDG SITES IN THE FLT DIRECTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED THIS PLT, NOR HAS THE LCL POLICE.

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.