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2 hot air balloons lifted from a field that an FAA inspector thought was too small.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 275783 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : o45 |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 275783 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 275782 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : assigned or threatened penalties |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Launched from an open field in a hot air balloon. Calm winds, clear skies. There were some parked cars outlining our inflation area. When the balloon was totally inflated it came close to the cars. It was early in the morning and no persons were around. I felt that the parked autos were no hazard. If anything, it was marginal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: 4 balloons were preparing for launch, 2 balloons were fully inflated and ready for liftoff. The other 2 were not yet inflated. An FAA FSDO inspector suggested that the balloons were inflating too close to some empty cars that line the field. The 2 rptrs, whose balloons were ready for liftoff, disagreed and lifted off after receiving veiled threats of FAA action. The other balloons moved to another launch site. The reporter wrote a strong letter to the FSDO chief asking for a reply as to whether this intimidation was normal procedure for his office and his inspectors. There has been no reply to this letter and no letter of investigation in this matter. Another pilot flying for the same operator has received a letter from the same FSDO regarding a situation wherein a balloon was judged, by a city policeman, to have landed in an unsafe place.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 2 HOT AIR BALLOONS LIFTED FROM A FIELD THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR THOUGHT WAS TOO SMALL.
Narrative: LAUNCHED FROM AN OPEN FIELD IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. CALM WINDS, CLR SKIES. THERE WERE SOME PARKED CARS OUTLINING OUR INFLATION AREA. WHEN THE BALLOON WAS TOTALLY INFLATED IT CAME CLOSE TO THE CARS. IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING AND NO PERSONS WERE AROUND. I FELT THAT THE PARKED AUTOS WERE NO HAZARD. IF ANYTHING, IT WAS MARGINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: 4 BALLOONS WERE PREPARING FOR LAUNCH, 2 BALLOONS WERE FULLY INFLATED AND READY FOR LIFTOFF. THE OTHER 2 WERE NOT YET INFLATED. AN FAA FSDO INSPECTOR SUGGESTED THAT THE BALLOONS WERE INFLATING TOO CLOSE TO SOME EMPTY CARS THAT LINE THE FIELD. THE 2 RPTRS, WHOSE BALLOONS WERE READY FOR LIFTOFF, DISAGREED AND LIFTED OFF AFTER RECEIVING VEILED THREATS OF FAA ACTION. THE OTHER BALLOONS MOVED TO ANOTHER LAUNCH SITE. THE RPTR WROTE A STRONG LETTER TO THE FSDO CHIEF ASKING FOR A REPLY AS TO WHETHER THIS INTIMIDATION WAS NORMAL PROC FOR HIS OFFICE AND HIS INSPECTORS. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPLY TO THIS LETTER AND NO LETTER OF INVESTIGATION IN THIS MATTER. ANOTHER PLT FLYING FOR THE SAME OPERATOR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE SAME FSDO REGARDING A SIT WHEREIN A BALLOON WAS JUDGED, BY A CITY POLICEMAN, TO HAVE LANDED IN AN UNSAFE PLACE.
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.