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After takeoff, balloon pilot determines winds will take balloon further into class B airspace and takes action to immediately land aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 405150 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : nkx |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 405150 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was conducting a passenger flight as PIC. After collecting flight service data and reading of test helium balloons, I expected T0 fly in the direction of 255-260 degrees, towards suitable landing areas. Upon takeoff, the winds had shifted to 275-280 degrees, and I was heading towards inaccessible terrain. After attempting to correct direction by using the terrain and valley flow, I had no action remaining but to fly on to the horseman's canyon area, south of rancho pennasquitos. I attempted a landing there, but another balloon was directly in my flight path, who had landed there only mins previously. I had no choice but to overfly and enter the edge of miramar's class B airspace and land as soon as possible. I had no time to contact the tower before I touched down. Looking back, the only correctable action I could see was to land immediately after takeoff, or to choose a more proper launch site, which would allow for variations in wind direction. San diego is rapidly closing up due to development, making launch site selections even more critical.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AFTER TKOF, BALLOON PLT DETERMINES WINDS WILL TAKE BALLOON FURTHER INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND TAKES ACTION TO IMMEDIATELY LAND ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A PAX FLT AS PIC. AFTER COLLECTING FLT SVC DATA AND READING OF TEST HELIUM BALLOONS, I EXPECTED T0 FLY IN THE DIRECTION OF 255-260 DEGS, TOWARDS SUITABLE LNDG AREAS. UPON TKOF, THE WINDS HAD SHIFTED TO 275-280 DEGS, AND I WAS HEADING TOWARDS INACCESSIBLE TERRAIN. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT DIRECTION BY USING THE TERRAIN AND VALLEY FLOW, I HAD NO ACTION REMAINING BUT TO FLY ON TO THE HORSEMAN'S CANYON AREA, S OF RANCHO PENNASQUITOS. I ATTEMPTED A LNDG THERE, BUT ANOTHER BALLOON WAS DIRECTLY IN MY FLT PATH, WHO HAD LANDED THERE ONLY MINS PREVIOUSLY. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO OVERFLY AND ENTER THE EDGE OF MIRAMAR'S CLASS B AIRSPACE AND LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAD NO TIME TO CONTACT THE TWR BEFORE I TOUCHED DOWN. LOOKING BACK, THE ONLY CORRECTABLE ACTION I COULD SEE WAS TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, OR TO CHOOSE A MORE PROPER LAUNCH SITE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR VARIATIONS IN WIND DIRECTION. SAN DIEGO IS RAPIDLY CLOSING UP DUE TO DEVELOPMENT, MAKING LAUNCH SITE SELECTIONS EVEN MORE CRITICAL.
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.