A HOT AIR BALLOON 'CRASHED' IN A LAKE.

Narrative

THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PROB. THE LCL NEWS MEDIA RPTED FALSELY AND INTERESTED FAA AND I GAVE THEM AN INCIDENT RPT. I WAS FLYING OVER THE LAKE; WINDS WENT CALM; I LANDED ON THE LAKE; TALKED WITH AN ACQUAINTANCE AND WE DECIDED TO PUT THE BALLOON IN THE BOAT. I ELEVATED THE BASKET; HE SLIPPED UNDER WITH THE BOAT; AND I SAT IT DOWN IN THE BOAT AND COLLAPSED THE ENVELOPE. ANOTHER BOAT HELPED CARRY THE ENVELOPE AND WE ALL WENT TO SHORE. NOTHING WAS UNEXPECTED. NO INJURIES; NO DAMAGE; NO COMPLAINTS -- JUST INADEQUATE NEWS COVERAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CALM WINDS. PERCEPTIONS: MISJUDGED WINDS; CALM WINDS WERE NOT FORECASTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING PLT LANDED HIS BALLOON ON A BOAT TO DISCHARGE PAX. HE THEN CLBED TO 6000 FT WHERE HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY WIND. HE CAME BACK DOWN TO THE LAKE AND ARRANGED TO BE RETRIEVED BY THE FIRST BOAT PLUS ANOTHER PASSING BY. ONE OF THE BOATS RPTED TO THE LCL FAA THAT THE BALLOON HAD 'CRASHED' IN THE LAKE. THE RPTR SAID THAT THIS INCIDENT MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LCL NEWSPAPER. THE RPTR WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE LCL FAA WHO WAS QUITE AMUSED BY THE WHOLE SIT. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE NEXT TIME HE WILL HAVE THE BOAT CARRY HIM TO THE SHORE WHILE STILL INFLATED; BUT HE WILL TRY TO AVOID A 'NEXT TIME.'