A COMMERCIAL HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN A CHURCH YARD WITH A FUEL LEAK.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING AT APPROX 1200 FT AGL WITH 2 PAX ON BOARD; A LEAK DEVELOPED IN 1 OF MY TANK VALVE STEMS. THESE ARE STANDARD 20 GALLON LIE DOWN TANKS. THE LEAK WAS VERY NOTICEABLE BUT NOT BAD ENOUGH THAT I COULD NOT TURN OFF VALVE WITH A GLOVED HAND. AFTER I TURNED OFF THE VALVE; THE LEAK CONTINUED AT THE SAME RATE. MY OTHER OPTION WAS TO LAND ASAP. THE WIND CONDITIONS WERE VERY LIGHT AND VARIABLE; LESS THAN 3 KTS IN ANY LEVEL. THE ONLY OPEN AREA IN MY DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WITH NO PWR LINES WAS A SMALL CHURCH LOT. NOT KNOWING WHETHER THE LEAK WOULD GET WORSE OR HOW LONG I WOULD HAVE TO FLY WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE CONDITIONS; I CHOSE TO LAND ON THE CHURCH LOT. WE MADE A SAFE LNDG; NOT TOUCHING ANY OBSTACLES. MY CHASE CREW WAS AT THE SITE WITH A SPARE TANK; SO I CHANGED TANKS AND FLEW ON. THE LNDG SITE WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS; BUT I KNOW I COULD MAKE A SAFE LNDG. THE TEMP WAS BELOW 30 DEGS AND I HAVE BEEN USING NITROGEN TO CHARGE MY TANKS. WITH THE TANK BEING EXPOSED TO THE WX FOR SO LONG AND TEMPS BELOW FREEZING; I AM SURE THE O-RING CRACKED WITH THE COMBINATION OF CONDENSATION AND NITROGEN.