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Balloon pilot makes precautionary landing on a residential street when a wind shift drifted the balloon in another direction than desired.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 562882 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : slc.vortac |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : charter |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude landing : roll |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : charter |
| Function | instruction : instructor observation : company check pilot other personnel other |
| ASRS Report | 562882 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : charter |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
I am the owner/operator and pilot of company. I operate in the park city, ut, area. On the morning of oct/wed/02, I was observing and evaluating a pilot for possible employment with my company. The flight was going well and the winds were calm. I was challenging him to guide the balloon to a location appropriate for changing out passenger. As we approached the area for landing, we experienced a sudden shift in wind direction that blew us over park meadows golf course. Rather than continue into a difficult location, I elected to put down on a residential street. I had 3 crew men on the ground and I dropped a line to them for control. They were able to direct me right onto the street without incident. We swapped out passenger and departed the area without difficulty. I then assumed control of the balloon to ensure that we did not land in a congested area again. I should not have allowed the balloon to go as far as it did to land in the residential area. I will not allow it again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BALLOON PLT MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHEN A WIND SHIFT DRIFTED THE BALLOON IN ANOTHER DIRECTION THAN DESIRED.
Narrative: I AM THE OWNER/OPERATOR AND PLT OF COMPANY. I OPERATE IN THE PARK CITY, UT, AREA. ON THE MORNING OF OCT/WED/02, I WAS OBSERVING AND EVALUATING A PLT FOR POSSIBLE EMPLOYMENT WITH MY COMPANY. THE FLT WAS GOING WELL AND THE WINDS WERE CALM. I WAS CHALLENGING HIM TO GUIDE THE BALLOON TO A LOCATION APPROPRIATE FOR CHANGING OUT PAX. AS WE APCHED THE AREA FOR LNDG, WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION THAT BLEW US OVER PARK MEADOWS GOLF COURSE. RATHER THAN CONTINUE INTO A DIFFICULT LOCATION, I ELECTED TO PUT DOWN ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. I HAD 3 CREW MEN ON THE GND AND I DROPPED A LINE TO THEM FOR CTL. THEY WERE ABLE TO DIRECT ME RIGHT ONTO THE STREET WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE SWAPPED OUT PAX AND DEPARTED THE AREA WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. I THEN ASSUMED CTL OF THE BALLOON TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT LAND IN A CONGESTED AREA AGAIN. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE BALLOON TO GO AS FAR AS IT DID TO LAND IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT AGAIN.
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.