A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN A CONGESTED AREA UNDER CTL OF ICT ATCT.

Narrative

BASED UPON FORECAST WINDS OF S TO SW; A LAUNCH SITE NW OF CONGESTED AREA OF WICHITA WITH A PROJECTED FLT PATH AWAY FROM WICHITA. UPON LAUNCH; THE BALLOON DRIFTED TO THE SE. A PRELAUNCH HELIUM BALLOON SHOWED WINDS ALOFT TO BE OUT OF THE W. 10 MINS AFTER LAUNCH; THE BALLOON BEGAN DRIFTING SSE AT 3 KTS. DIFFERENT ALTS DID NOT ALTER THE DRIFT. FAR 91.119; MSA; WAS VIOLATED BY FLYING AT 500 FT AGL OR LESS OVER A CONGESTED AREA IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND. 1 HR INTO THE FLT; A SAFE LNDG WAS EXECUTED ON A CITY STREET. NO DAMAGE TO PAX; ACFT; OR PERSON OR OBJECT ON THE GND OCCURRED. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY MAKING THE NEXRAD VAD DATA AVAILABLE TO BALLOON PLTS WHILE THE RADAR IS OPERATING IN CLR AIR MODE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 7 (TBW FF7) HOT AIR BALLOON FOR THE PURPOSE OF A BI-ANNUAL FLT REVIEW. A DESIGNATED EXAMINER WAS THE ONLY OTHER OCCUPANT OF THE BASKET. 'NEXRAD VAD' THAT THE RPTR REFERS TO IS 'NEXT GENERATION WX RADAR; VERT AZIMUTH DETECTION.' THIS SYS IS OPERATED BY THE NATIONAL WX SVC AND THE INFO IS MADE AVAILABLE TO SOME FSS. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE COUNTRY-WIDE YET. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE ICT ATCT BEFORE ENTERING ITS CLASS C AIRSPACE.