Low level civil flight.

Attributes
ACN	308901
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sts
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	308901
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was a proud participant in a hot air balloon event. The balloon meister and a FSDO representative declared the WX to be good enough. I flew a passenger as part of the agreement. We were flying low over a home on approach to a fallow field. The homeowner called up to me, 'you're flying rather low aren't you?' I replied 'I'm making an approach for a landing.' this seemed to satisfy the homeowner as there was no further discussion. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a hot air balloon in an organized meet. An FAA FSDO representative was on the site. He observed several other balloons fly into a low overcast, about 800 ft AGL. The conditions of the waiver that was issued stated that there would be no balloon flts until the WX was at least 1600 ft. Sts tower was in operation, about 3 mi south of the launch site. Sts forwarded a 1600 ft report and the balloons were launched. The FSDO representative was upset. The reporter has heard nothing more regarding this incident. The reporter landed in an empty field as soon as possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW LEVEL CIVIL FLT.

Narrative: I WAS A PROUD PARTICIPANT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT. THE BALLOON MEISTER AND A FSDO REPRESENTATIVE DECLARED THE WX TO BE GOOD ENOUGH. I FLEW A PAX AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT. WE WERE FLYING LOW OVER A HOME ON APCH TO A FALLOW FIELD. THE HOMEOWNER CALLED UP TO ME, 'YOU'RE FLYING RATHER LOW AREN'T YOU?' I REPLIED 'I'M MAKING AN APCH FOR A LNDG.' THIS SEEMED TO SATISFY THE HOMEOWNER AS THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A HOT AIR BALLOON IN AN ORGANIZED MEET. AN FAA FSDO REPRESENTATIVE WAS ON THE SITE. HE OBSERVED SEVERAL OTHER BALLOONS FLY INTO A LOW OVERCAST, ABOUT 800 FT AGL. THE CONDITIONS OF THE WAIVER THAT WAS ISSUED STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO BALLOON FLTS UNTIL THE WX WAS AT LEAST 1600 FT. STS TWR WAS IN OP, ABOUT 3 MI S OF THE LAUNCH SITE. STS FORWARDED A 1600 FT RPT AND THE BALLOONS WERE LAUNCHED. THE FSDO REPRESENTATIVE WAS UPSET. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR LANDED IN AN EMPTY FIELD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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.