Hot air balloon pilot landed in theme park parking lot.

Attributes
ACN	421765
Time
Date	199811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : orl
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2700
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	421765
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

WX briefing XA30 both local airports calm. Predawn test balloon, surface to +/-500 ft showed surface wind from northwest, immediately shifting to northeast. A flight was planned from a common launch field on highway 535 about 5 mi north of the north border of theme park. Prior to launch, a second test balloon was released confirming the first one. WX was clear, visibility 10+ mi, altitude unlimited. Liftoff approximately XD15 local. Winds to southwest had gone away. Surface wind to southeast continued. Winds above blew straight south. After leaving the launch area, no suitable landing spots were available for several mi. Using the lower winds over open country (mostly swamp and orange groves) an alternate landing area east of theme park was targeted. After about 40 mins and 5 mi, fog formed above and around the balloon and northwest winds shifted to north blowing toward theme park. I climbed above the fog to avoid power lines and looking down noted that I was following highway 535 toward theme park. The road turned east and the balloon continued south, over the support facility area for theme park. After passing a communications tower, I descended to about 100 ft over building, parking lots, and a stand of trees. Visibility was clear enough to approach a parking lot with a large vacant area. The approach was over trees and a road then storage trailers. The landing was uneventful. No damage to anyone or anything on the ground and the passenger were fine (unhurt and happy). Security and orange county took information, medics checked passenger, all were fine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN THEME PARK PARKING LOT.

Narrative: WX BRIEFING XA30 BOTH LCL ARPTS CALM. PREDAWN TEST BALLOON, SURFACE TO +/-500 FT SHOWED SURFACE WIND FROM NW, IMMEDIATELY SHIFTING TO NE. A FLT WAS PLANNED FROM A COMMON LAUNCH FIELD ON HWY 535 ABOUT 5 MI N OF THE N BORDER OF THEME PARK. PRIOR TO LAUNCH, A SECOND TEST BALLOON WAS RELEASED CONFIRMING THE FIRST ONE. WX WAS CLR, VISIBILITY 10+ MI, ALT UNLIMITED. LIFTOFF APPROX XD15 LCL. WINDS TO SW HAD GONE AWAY. SURFACE WIND TO SE CONTINUED. WINDS ABOVE BLEW STRAIGHT S. AFTER LEAVING THE LAUNCH AREA, NO SUITABLE LNDG SPOTS WERE AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL MI. USING THE LOWER WINDS OVER OPEN COUNTRY (MOSTLY SWAMP AND ORANGE GROVES) AN ALTERNATE LNDG AREA E OF THEME PARK WAS TARGETED. AFTER ABOUT 40 MINS AND 5 MI, FOG FORMED ABOVE AND AROUND THE BALLOON AND NW WINDS SHIFTED TO N BLOWING TOWARD THEME PARK. I CLBED ABOVE THE FOG TO AVOID PWR LINES AND LOOKING DOWN NOTED THAT I WAS FOLLOWING HWY 535 TOWARD THEME PARK. THE ROAD TURNED E AND THE BALLOON CONTINUED S, OVER THE SUPPORT FACILITY AREA FOR THEME PARK. AFTER PASSING A COMS TWR, I DSNDED TO ABOUT 100 FT OVER BUILDING, PARKING LOTS, AND A STAND OF TREES. VISIBILITY WAS CLR ENOUGH TO APCH A PARKING LOT WITH A LARGE VACANT AREA. THE APCH WAS OVER TREES AND A ROAD THEN STORAGE TRAILERS. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO DAMAGE TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING ON THE GND AND THE PAX WERE FINE (UNHURT AND HAPPY). SECURITY AND ORANGE COUNTY TOOK INFO, MEDICS CHKED PAX, ALL WERE FINE.

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.