A hot air balloon pilot landed in an 'unsuitable landing area' to prevent creating fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	345652
Time
Date	199608
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cxy
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	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 : 40 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	345652
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Preflight WX briefing indicated variable winds, 4 KTS. The winds went to 1/2 KT or less at the approach to landing phase. I had to land at an unsuitable landing area to prevent entering into an emergency fuel situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the 'unsuitable landing area' was a forest with power lines before it. The reporter felt that he had to land short of the trees and power lines while he still had plenty of fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN AN 'UNSUITABLE LNDG AREA' TO PREVENT CREATING FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: PREFLT WX BRIEFING INDICATED VARIABLE WINDS, 4 KTS. THE WINDS WENT TO 1/2 KT OR LESS AT THE APCH TO LNDG PHASE. I HAD TO LAND AT AN UNSUITABLE LNDG AREA TO PREVENT ENTERING INTO AN EMER FUEL SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE 'UNSUITABLE LNDG AREA' WAS A FOREST WITH PWR LINES BEFORE IT. THE RPTR FELT THAT HE HAD TO LAND SHORT OF THE TREES AND PWR LINES WHILE HE STILL HAD PLENTY OF FUEL.

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.