Narrative:

I fly for a hot air balloon company in wa, on occasion (seasonal). Our target area to land is a wide open river valley with no obstructions, homes, etc. After careful preflight planning, I chose what I thought to be the most appropriate launch site to enable me to drift back to the valley. The hills on the west side of valley are congested and with few fields for landing. Further west is lake washington. I plan my launch sites so as to avoid this direction/area. 30 mins after departure, I had a wind shift of almost 90 degrees making it impossible to stay off the west ridge. The wind shift was not forecasted. I could have remained at minimum safe altitudes and at my present course/drift and possibly made it into a park on the edge of the lake. Should I have missed that park, I would be reporting an accident to the NTSB. I made the decision to descend to a lower altitude for a better course/drift and a slower ground speed. I landed the balloon uneventfully in a church parking lot. I knowingly violated MSA as stated in the FARS for the safety of the flight. While flying below MSA, I am so concerned with the fact that I am in violation of the MSA, that it's difficult to concentrate 100 percent on the flight duties. I know of numerous other pilots who have encountered similar sits and ended up with suspended certificates. I feel that the current FARS in regards to MSA's need to be amended for hot air balloons. This type of aircraft is unlike any other in flight and performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLEW LOW TO FIND A PROPER LNDG SITE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT BALLOONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FLY AT LOWER ALTS THAN OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON COMPANY IN WA, ON OCCASION (SEASONAL). OUR TARGET AREA TO LAND IS A WIDE OPEN RIVER VALLEY WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS, HOMES, ETC. AFTER CAREFUL PREFLT PLANNING, I CHOSE WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE LAUNCH SITE TO ENABLE ME TO DRIFT BACK TO THE VALLEY. THE HILLS ON THE W SIDE OF VALLEY ARE CONGESTED AND WITH FEW FIELDS FOR LNDG. FURTHER W IS LAKE WASHINGTON. I PLAN MY LAUNCH SITES SO AS TO AVOID THIS DIRECTION/AREA. 30 MINS AFTER DEP, I HAD A WIND SHIFT OF ALMOST 90 DEGS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY OFF THE W RIDGE. THE WIND SHIFT WAS NOT FORECASTED. I COULD HAVE REMAINED AT MINIMUM SAFE ALTS AND AT MY PRESENT COURSE/DRIFT AND POSSIBLY MADE IT INTO A PARK ON THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. SHOULD I HAVE MISSED THAT PARK, I WOULD BE RPTING AN ACCIDENT TO THE NTSB. I MADE THE DECISION TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT FOR A BETTER COURSE/DRIFT AND A SLOWER GND SPD. I LANDED THE BALLOON UNEVENTFULLY IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT. I KNOWINGLY VIOLATED MSA AS STATED IN THE FARS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. WHILE FLYING BELOW MSA, I AM SO CONCERNED WITH THE FACT THAT I AM IN VIOLATION OF THE MSA, THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO CONCENTRATE 100 PERCENT ON THE FLT DUTIES. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS OTHER PLTS WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR SITS AND ENDED UP WITH SUSPENDED CERTIFICATES. I FEEL THAT THE CURRENT FARS IN REGARDS TO MSA'S NEED TO BE AMENDED FOR HOT AIR BALLOONS. THIS TYPE OF ACFT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN FLT AND PERFORMANCE.

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.