A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE OPERATOR LANDED ON A CITY STREET AFTER A PERIOD OF LOW ALT CIVIL OP.

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IN EXECUTING A STANDARD COMMERCIAL PAX FLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON; I TOOK OFF WITH SEVERAL OTHER BALLOONS JUST E OF DEL MAR ON AN APPROVED LAUNCH SITE. THE WIND WAS VERY LIGHT AND VARIABLE; AND SHIFTED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE LAUNCH; IN ALL LIKELIHOOD DUE TO THE COLD FRONT FORECAST TO REACH SAN DIEGO LATER THAT EVENING. THOUGH THE FINAL DIRECTION BEFORE TKOF WAS TOWARD ONLY A FEW POSSIBLE LNDG SITES; WE LAUNCHED WITH THE INTENT OF A SHORT FLT. WHILE AIRBORNE; THE WIND CONTINUED TO SHIFT; BUT REMAINED CALM. SUDDENLY A NEW CURRENT DEVELOPED THAT WAS QUITE STRONG. THINKING THAT THIS CURRENT WOULD NOT SHIFT DUE TO ITS STRENGTH; I NAVED OVER A RESIDENTIAL AREA TO COMPENSATE. WHEN I DSNDED TO USE THE NEW CURRENT; IT HAD SHIFTED AND DECREASED SPD; TAKING ME TOWARDS INTERSTATE 5 WITH FEW LNDG OPTIONS BEYOND. I DECIDED TO LAND ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET ASAP. I PASSED 2 STREETS BELOW 75 FT AGL; UNTIL MY CREW INTERCEPTED ME FOR A LNDG ASSIST. WE TOWED THE BALLOON A SHORT DISTANCE TO DEFLATE. LOOKING BACK; THE LAUNCH SITE SELECTION WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. HAD WE LAUNCHED FROM A MORE REMOTE AREA; AWAY FROM CONGESTION; THE FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNUSUAL DUE TO THE WIND SHIFTS; BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNEVENTFUL. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE STRONG CURRENT TO SHIFT; EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARED STABLE. REMAINING OVER LANDABLE AREAS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE AS FLT PLAN.