Narrative:

Am a commercially certificated hot air balloon pilot with over 4000 hours PIC in balloons. I launched at about XA00. WX conditions were clear below 12000 ft. Unlimited visibility. Surface winds of 090 degrees at 4 KTS; temperature 26 degrees C. Forecast winds aloft from the northeast turning out of the northwest about 6000 ft AGL. Forecast surface winds 090 degrees at 5 KTS. I was flying a hot air balloon. This was a commercial sight-seeing passenger flight. 12 passenger; plus myself as pilot; were on board. After flying for about an hour; at approximately XB05 am MST I descended from 3000 ft AGL to approximately 1100 ft AGL in order to make a landing approach. Surface winds had shifted. At 1100 ft AGL; the winds were light coming from the southwest. On the surface the winds were light coming from the nnw. I was approaching a very large field; 5 acres more or less. On the west side of the field there is a privately owned horse property with horses on site. I maneuvered the balloon to the east of that property; maintaining an altitude of at least 1000 ft AGL until I had cleared the structures on the ground. At that time I effected a rapid descent into the open field; using the quieter 'cow burner' in an effort to not scare the nearby horses. The touchdown was more than 1/8TH of a mi from the property. All passenger were safe. The aircraft was not damaged in any way. The horses were standing easy. After landing I was approached by a woman who idented herself as the owner of the property to the west. She was very upset; screaming; profane; and ranting about the balloon being over her property. She said I had violated her privacy; had upset her horses and had no right to be in the air over her house or her horses. The property I landed on does not belong to her. She threatened to call the police anyway. No police ever showed up. Later in the morning I received a phone call from the woman. She said she had received permission from the county sheriff to 'shoot the balloons out of the air' the next time she saw one. She said that is what she is going to do. I did fly over her property. However it was at or above the legal minimum altitude. I landed away from her property in such a way not to endanger people or property. I never presented a hazard to any person or property on the ground or in the air. The landing was safe and in my judgement compliant. I feel the woman is in violation of far 91.11 prohibition against interference with crew members. And she has threatened to shoot toward an aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL BALLOON PILOT WAS THREATENED AFTER A NORMAL NON INVASIVE LNDG ON THE THREATENING PERSONS ADJACENT RURAL PROPERTY.

Narrative: AM A COMMERCIALLY CERTIFICATED HOT AIR BALLOON PLT WITH OVER 4000 HRS PIC IN BALLOONS. I LAUNCHED AT ABOUT XA00. WX CONDITIONS WERE CLR BELOW 12000 FT. UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. SURFACE WINDS OF 090 DEGS AT 4 KTS; TEMP 26 DEGS C. FORECAST WINDS ALOFT FROM THE NE TURNING OUT OF THE NW ABOUT 6000 FT AGL. FORECAST SURFACE WINDS 090 DEGS AT 5 KTS. I WAS FLYING A HOT AIR BALLOON. THIS WAS A COMMERCIAL SIGHT-SEEING PAX FLT. 12 PAX; PLUS MYSELF AS PLT; WERE ON BOARD. AFTER FLYING FOR ABOUT AN HR; AT APPROX XB05 AM MST I DSNDED FROM 3000 FT AGL TO APPROX 1100 FT AGL IN ORDER TO MAKE A LNDG APCH. SURFACE WINDS HAD SHIFTED. AT 1100 FT AGL; THE WINDS WERE LIGHT COMING FROM THE SW. ON THE SURFACE THE WINDS WERE LIGHT COMING FROM THE NNW. I WAS APCHING A VERY LARGE FIELD; 5 ACRES MORE OR LESS. ON THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD THERE IS A PRIVATELY OWNED HORSE PROPERTY WITH HORSES ON SITE. I MANEUVERED THE BALLOON TO THE E OF THAT PROPERTY; MAINTAINING AN ALT OF AT LEAST 1000 FT AGL UNTIL I HAD CLRED THE STRUCTURES ON THE GND. AT THAT TIME I EFFECTED A RAPID DSCNT INTO THE OPEN FIELD; USING THE QUIETER 'COW BURNER' IN AN EFFORT TO NOT SCARE THE NEARBY HORSES. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS MORE THAN 1/8TH OF A MI FROM THE PROPERTY. ALL PAX WERE SAFE. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY. THE HORSES WERE STANDING EASY. AFTER LNDG I WAS APCHED BY A WOMAN WHO IDENTED HERSELF AS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY TO THE W. SHE WAS VERY UPSET; SCREAMING; PROFANE; AND RANTING ABOUT THE BALLOON BEING OVER HER PROPERTY. SHE SAID I HAD VIOLATED HER PRIVACY; HAD UPSET HER HORSES AND HAD NO RIGHT TO BE IN THE AIR OVER HER HOUSE OR HER HORSES. THE PROPERTY I LANDED ON DOES NOT BELONG TO HER. SHE THREATENED TO CALL THE POLICE ANYWAY. NO POLICE EVER SHOWED UP. LATER IN THE MORNING I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE WOMAN. SHE SAID SHE HAD RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE COUNTY SHERIFF TO 'SHOOT THE BALLOONS OUT OF THE AIR' THE NEXT TIME SHE SAW ONE. SHE SAID THAT IS WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO. I DID FLY OVER HER PROPERTY. HOWEVER IT WAS AT OR ABOVE THE LEGAL MINIMUM ALT. I LANDED AWAY FROM HER PROPERTY IN SUCH A WAY NOT TO ENDANGER PEOPLE OR PROPERTY. I NEVER PRESENTED A HAZARD TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. THE LNDG WAS SAFE AND IN MY JUDGEMENT COMPLIANT. I FEEL THE WOMAN IS IN VIOLATION OF FAR 91.11 PROHIBITION AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH CREW MEMBERS. AND SHE HAS THREATENED TO SHOOT TOWARD AN ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.