A HOT AIR BALLOON FLEW THROUGH CLASS 'D' AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

1) ENTERED NASHUA; NH; ARPT AREA/PASSED THROUGH LNDG PATTERN WITHOUT BENEFIT OF 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC/TWR. PREFLT WX INFO 2A) FSS BRIEFING NIGHT BEFORE AND MORNING OF FLT WIND WAS PREDICTED/FORECAST TO BE LESS THAN 10 ON SURFACE AND NOT INDIRECTION OF NASHUA ARPT. 2B) PLT BALLOON (HELIUM BALLOON APPROX 9 INCHES) RELEASED AT LAUNCH SITE (PEPPERELL; MA) IS 15 MIN BEFORE FLT. DIRECTIONS WAS CONSISTENT AND AWAY FROM NASHUA ARPT; SW WIND. PLANNED FLT TO HOLLIS CTR. 3) NO HAND-HELD RADIO ON BOARD DURING THIS FLT. HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING RAPID DISCHARGE OF RADIO IN PREVIEW FLTS; THEREFORE PLANNED FLTS SO NO RADIO WOULD BE NECESSARY. 4) IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF; DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WAS DIFFERENT THAN 'P BAL' -- TRAVELED; IN GENERAL DIRECTION OF NASHUA ARPT; S WIND. 5) ATTEMPTED TO FIND WIND DIRECTION AWAY FROM NASHUA ARPT; HOWEVER THESE DIRECTIONS WERE TOWARD CITY OF NASHUA. VARIABLE WINDS PREVAILED DURING FLT. 6) ATTEMPTED TO PLAN FOR EARLY LNDG TO AVOID ENTERING ARPT AIR SPACE; CLASS D. HOWEVER THE VARIABLE WINDS; THAT WERE NOT CONSISTENT IN DIRECTION; DID NOT ALLOW FOR AN EARLY LNDG. 7) AS THE BALLOON ENTERED THE AIRSPACE; CLASS D; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO FIND A WIND DIRECTION THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO FIND A LNDG FIELD PRIOR TO ENTERING THE LNDG PATTERN. THIS WAS NOT ACHIEVED AND I THEN CONCENTRATED MY ATTN ON LOOKING OUT FOR OTHER ACFT. THREE WERE NONE OBSERVED DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. 8) TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: A) TAKE HAND-HELD RADIO ON ALL FLTS REPLACE RADIO/BATTERIES. B) PROVIDE GND/CHASE CREW WITH PHONE NUMBER OF TWR; SO AT LEAST SOME FORM OF COM TAKES PLACE SO TWR IS AWARE OF BALLOON FLT IN AREA. C) PHONE TWR BEFORE FLT.