Hot air balloon pilot ran out of fuel and had an uncontrolled landing into trees.

Attributes
ACN	525452
Time
Date	200109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 280 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	525452
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel pressure indicator other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After I threw my second baggie at the second X, I immediately was looking for a place to land. I knew that my fuel was very low and that I could not cross a large set of power lines ahead of me. I was lined up on the subdivision road in front of me when the winds shifted slightly to the right. Without sufficient fuel, I was unable to stop my descent, and the balloon settled a few ft into the trees. I immediately threw out my drop line to my crew. The balloon was too heavy to move. I got the idea to lighten the balloon by removing 2 fuel tanks from the basket. After that, the balloon rose up enough for my crew to easily remove me and the balloon from the trees and into a safe landing on the road. There was not a scratch on the envelope or the basket, but the collar of one of the fuel tanks was slightly bent. Then, today at an FAA certified repair station the tank was examined and was said to be airworthy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND HAD AN UNCTLED LNDG INTO TREES.

Narrative: AFTER I THREW MY SECOND BAGGIE AT THE SECOND X, I IMMEDIATELY WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I KNEW THAT MY FUEL WAS VERY LOW AND THAT I COULD NOT CROSS A LARGE SET OF PWR LINES AHEAD OF ME. I WAS LINED UP ON THE SUBDIVISION ROAD IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THE WINDS SHIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE R. WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUEL, I WAS UNABLE TO STOP MY DSCNT, AND THE BALLOON SETTLED A FEW FT INTO THE TREES. I IMMEDIATELY THREW OUT MY DROP LINE TO MY CREW. THE BALLOON WAS TOO HVY TO MOVE. I GOT THE IDEA TO LIGHTEN THE BALLOON BY REMOVING 2 FUEL TANKS FROM THE BASKET. AFTER THAT, THE BALLOON ROSE UP ENOUGH FOR MY CREW TO EASILY REMOVE ME AND THE BALLOON FROM THE TREES AND INTO A SAFE LNDG ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS NOT A SCRATCH ON THE ENVELOPE OR THE BASKET, BUT THE COLLAR OF ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. THEN, TODAY AT AN FAA CERTIFIED REPAIR STATION THE TANK WAS EXAMINED AND WAS SAID TO BE AIRWORTHY.

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.