Narrative:

I was executing touch and goes in a lta-hab when confronted by aviation safety inspector upon landing, regarding altitude maintained. Takeoff with another lta-hab, one conducting commercial operations and drift over residential area adjacent to golf courses. Attempting to find suitable landing areas, I maintained an altitude of approximately 500 ft AGL. I landed twice, the first landing was next to a lake and my climb was not steeply sloped. The wind was calm, forecasted to be 4 mph. I made contact with a tree climbing out, gently brushing its top. Flew on after a touch and go, and landed shortly after that for my final resting place, on a not yet open road side. The issues raised when confronted by FSDO employee were: was I conducting a commercial operation? Which was confirmed by my passenger as not to be the case. Was I having an in-flight problem dictating my low altitude. I explained that I was attempting to land, which I did so twice, once shooting a touch and go. I never entered into the charlotte controled airspace, therefore radio contact with the tower was not made. I was maintaining an altitude below the class B airspace. At no time was flight safety in jeopardy, the flight was very uneventful, except upon landing having a FSDO employee ask for my pilot's license. No problems at all, the majority of the flight was over 2 golf courses and one school ball field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WAS QUESTIONED BY A FSDO SAFETY INSPECTOR REGARDING HIS PERCEIVED LOW FLT. FSDO SAFETY INSPECTOR PERCEPTION.

Narrative: I WAS EXECUTING TOUCH AND GOES IN A LTA-HAB WHEN CONFRONTED BY AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR UPON LNDG, REGARDING ALT MAINTAINED. TKOF WITH ANOTHER LTA-HAB, ONE CONDUCTING COMMERCIAL OPS AND DRIFT OVER RESIDENTIAL AREA ADJACENT TO GOLF COURSES. ATTEMPTING TO FIND SUITABLE LNDG AREAS, I MAINTAINED AN ALT OF APPROX 500 FT AGL. I LANDED TWICE, THE FIRST LNDG WAS NEXT TO A LAKE AND MY CLB WAS NOT STEEPLY SLOPED. THE WIND WAS CALM, FORECASTED TO BE 4 MPH. I MADE CONTACT WITH A TREE CLBING OUT, GENTLY BRUSHING ITS TOP. FLEW ON AFTER A TOUCH AND GO, AND LANDED SHORTLY AFTER THAT FOR MY FINAL RESTING PLACE, ON A NOT YET OPEN ROAD SIDE. THE ISSUES RAISED WHEN CONFRONTED BY FSDO EMPLOYEE WERE: WAS I CONDUCTING A COMMERCIAL OP? WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY MY PAX AS NOT TO BE THE CASE. WAS I HAVING AN INFLT PROB DICTATING MY LOW ALT. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND, WHICH I DID SO TWICE, ONCE SHOOTING A TOUCH AND GO. I NEVER ENTERED INTO THE CHARLOTTE CTLED AIRSPACE, THEREFORE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR WAS NOT MADE. I WAS MAINTAINING AN ALT BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AT NO TIME WAS FLT SAFETY IN JEOPARDY, THE FLT WAS VERY UNEVENTFUL, EXCEPT UPON LNDG HAVING A FSDO EMPLOYEE ASK FOR MY PLT'S LICENSE. NO PROBS AT ALL, THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT WAS OVER 2 GOLF COURSES AND ONE SCHOOL BALL FIELD.

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.