A hot air balloon pilot landed after sunset without lights.

Attributes
ACN	342461
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wa38
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 121 flight time type : 121
ASRS Report	342461
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I launched a hot air balloon for an evening scenic (commercial) flight. During the flight, the wind currents changed direction. The wind shift directed the aircraft over a heavily-wooded forest area without any landing sites in the flight path. I was forced to fly past legal sunset in order to reach a landing site. Upon landing, my fuel reserves were exhausted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED AFTER SUNSET WITHOUT LIGHTS.

Narrative: I LAUNCHED A HOT AIR BALLOON FOR AN EVENING SCENIC (COMMERCIAL) FLT. DURING THE FLT, THE WIND CURRENTS CHANGED DIRECTION. THE WIND SHIFT DIRECTED THE ACFT OVER A HEAVILY-WOODED FOREST AREA WITHOUT ANY LNDG SITES IN THE FLT PATH. I WAS FORCED TO FLY PAST LEGAL SUNSET IN ORDER TO REACH A LNDG SITE. UPON LNDG, MY FUEL RESERVES WERE EXHAUSTED.

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.