A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE; THEN HAD TO FLY LOW OVER A CONGESTED AREA.

Narrative

FLT WAS FIRST FLT OF BALLOON IN 1996 SEASON FOLLOWING ANNUAL INSPECTION. SETUP AND INFLATION DIFFICULT; DELAYED DUE TO BALLOON BEING PACKED RANDOMLY BY INSPECTING STATION. TKOF DELAYED. INITIAL FLT APPEARED TO GO IN DIRECTION WITH SUFFICIENT LNDG FIELDS; SLIGHT SHIFT CARRIED US ON UNUSUAL TRACK (FIRST TIME IN 10 YRS OF FLYING FROM 6B6). TKOF HAD BEEN AT XA00 AM. HANSCOM TWR OPENS AT XB00 AM. (ON INITIAL TRACK OF TYPICAL FLT; CTLED AIRSPACE WOULD NOT BE ENTERED). IN CTLED AIRSPACE (1/2 MI IN) WHEN TWR CAME ON LINE; NO ACFT RADIO ON BOARD; ATTEMPTS BY GND CREW TO CONTACT TWR BY PHONE NOT SUCCESSFUL. AFTER PASSING LOW (BELOW 500 FT AGL) OVER CONCORD; MA; LANDED IN FARM FIELD APPROX 2 MI FROM HANSCOM. ATTEMPT TO FIND LNDG SPOT AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER TWR BEGAN OP RESULTED IN FLYING LOW OVER CONGESTED AREA. OUR CHASE CREW RPTED THAT DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE COULD NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH HANSCOM TWR NUMBER. NUMBER IN COMMERCIAL ARPT DIRECTORY IS ALSO INCORRECT. ACFT RADIO WAS NOT CARRIED BECAUSE FORECAST WINDS WOULD NOT HAVE CARRIED BALLOON TOWARD HANSCOM. DIFFICULTY IN ASSEMBLING AND INFLATING BALLOON DELAYED TKOF BY A CRUCIAL 15 MINS. FAR 91.119 SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ALLOW BALLOONS SAME LOW FLT OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO HELIS. CONTACT WAS MADE BY TELEPHONE WITH HANSCOM TWR CTLR AFTER ARRIVING HOME APPROX 2 HRS AFTER LNDG. CTLR DID NOT INDICATE THAT HE BELIEVED ANY PROB OR CONCERN EXISTED. WX BRIEFING HAD BEEN OBTAINED BY DUAT.