A HOT AIR BALLOON LANDED ON PRISON PROPERTY.

Narrative

WE LAUNCHED A HOT AIR BALLOON FROM A FIELD NEAR HARRISONBURG; VA; AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL INFLATION. THERE WAS A SLIGHT FLUTTERING OF TREETOPS BUT NO WIND THAT IMPEDED OR AFFECTED THE INFLATION OR LAUNCH. WE FLEW AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF TOWN; THEN AT ABOUT 400-500 FT AGL OVER A RURAL AREA; HDG NE. AFTER FLYING APPROX 35-40 MIN; WE WERE ADVISED BY CREW IN THE CHASE VEHICLE THAT THE WIND WAS PICKING UP ON THE SURFACE. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I WAS ADVISED BY A CREW MEMBER; THAT THE VIRGINIA CORRECTIONS DEPT HAD A PRISON FACILITY NEARBY AND WE COULD SEE IT TO THE R OF US BELOW; AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD. SO I DECIDED TO LAND IN THE HAYFIELD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US WHERE I HAD ROOM TO DO A DRAG LNDG. WE ACCOMPLISHED A 'DRAG LNDG' SAFELY AND WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT; PERSONS OR PROPERTY; BUT WE WERE MET BY 2 CORRECTIONS DEPT EMPLOYEES INFORMING US THAT WE HAD LANDED ON PRISON PROPERTY; LINVILLE; VA; CAMP #8! THE FIELD WE LANDED IN WAS NOT MARKED AS BELONGING TO THE CORRECTIONS DEPT. THE AERONAUTICAL MAP HAD NO INDICATOR; AND THE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP (USED BY THE CHASE CREW) MADE NO MENTION OF IT EITHER. FROM THE AIR IT LOOKED LIKE THE PRISON COMPOUND WAS WELL TO THE R OF US; ACROSS A ROAD THAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE BOUNDARY FOR THE PRISON. WE WERE INFORMED THAT NO ACFT COULD LAND ON PRISON PROPERTY WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION AND THAT WE WOULD BE 'RPTED' TO THE FAA! I PRESENTED MY IDENT AND PLT CERTIFICATE; AFTER WHICH WE WERE ALLOWED TO PACK UP THE BALLOON AND LEAVE! (AFTER REALIZING THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND BECAUSE OF INCREASING WINDS; AND THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF BEING ON THEIR PROPERTY; THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS WERE VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING US PACKED UP AND OFF OF THE UNAUTH AREA.) (THEY NEED BETTER MARKERS.) WE DID MAKE A RED ZONE ON OUR TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP; SO THAT THIS DOES NOT RE-OCCUR! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE PRISON OFFICIALS MADE AN INTERNAL RPT ONLY WITH NO RPT TO THE FAA.