A hot air balloon with an advertising logo flew in close proximity to a special interest airshow act...

Attributes
ACN	343070
Time
Date	199608
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 840
ASRS Report	343070
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

There was a balloon race in pittsburgh. Our balloon was not a sponsor and so, not in the race. I used a launch site across the river from the race site (about 2000 ft). I waited till most of the balloons had launched until I launched. I climbed steadily to 2500 ft MSL to be above the structures of downtown. I flew behind the pack eventually descending close to a bridge and landing next to an already deflated balloon. It was a normal flight. The only problem is the race organizer is a lawyer who didn't make money by me flying. I would expect him to report me for some imagined infraction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a corporate logo balloon in the vicinity of, but not entered in, the race. The conflict that he mentions was a balloon that he landed near, there was no conflict in the air. An acrobatic airplane came apart in the air during the event, killing its pilot. The reporter believes that a little matter of a non-participating balloon was forgotten. He has not been contacted by anyone regarding this incident. 2 sets of hours of operation of the event were published so that pilots not entered in the event could pick the hours that they wanted to have the restr apply. This was a faulty conversion of zulu time to local time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON WITH AN ADVERTISING LOGO FLEW IN CLOSE PROX TO A SPECIAL INTEREST AIRSHOW ACTIVITY WITHOUT BEING PROPERLY ENTERED IN THE EVENT. SEE ACN 343074.

Narrative: THERE WAS A BALLOON RACE IN PITTSBURGH. OUR BALLOON WAS NOT A SPONSOR AND SO, NOT IN THE RACE. I USED A LAUNCH SITE ACROSS THE RIVER FROM THE RACE SITE (ABOUT 2000 FT). I WAITED TILL MOST OF THE BALLOONS HAD LAUNCHED UNTIL I LAUNCHED. I CLBED STEADILY TO 2500 FT MSL TO BE ABOVE THE STRUCTURES OF DOWNTOWN. I FLEW BEHIND THE PACK EVENTUALLY DSNDING CLOSE TO A BRIDGE AND LNDG NEXT TO AN ALREADY DEFLATED BALLOON. IT WAS A NORMAL FLT. THE ONLY PROB IS THE RACE ORGANIZER IS A LAWYER WHO DIDN'T MAKE MONEY BY ME FLYING. I WOULD EXPECT HIM TO RPT ME FOR SOME IMAGINED INFRACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CORPORATE LOGO BALLOON IN THE VICINITY OF, BUT NOT ENTERED IN, THE RACE. THE CONFLICT THAT HE MENTIONS WAS A BALLOON THAT HE LANDED NEAR, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT IN THE AIR. AN ACROBATIC AIRPLANE CAME APART IN THE AIR DURING THE EVENT, KILLING ITS PLT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT A LITTLE MATTER OF A NON-PARTICIPATING BALLOON WAS FORGOTTEN. HE HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY ANYONE REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. 2 SETS OF HRS OF OP OF THE EVENT WERE PUBLISHED SO THAT PLTS NOT ENTERED IN THE EVENT COULD PICK THE HRS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE RESTR APPLY. THIS WAS A FAULTY CONVERSION OF ZULU TIME TO LCL TIME.

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 with an advertising logo flew in close proximity to a special interest airshow activity without being properly entered in the event. See acn 343074.