HOT AIR BALLOON PLT ABORTS LNDG WHEN HE DISCOVERS ELECTRICAL PWR LINES AT ONE END OF HIS INTENDED LNDG FIELD. AFTER PICKING ANOTHER NEARBY FIELD HE PASSES OVER HOUSING WHILE ON APCH.

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A HOT AIR BALLOON FLT (SPECIAL SHAPE BALLOON); BEGAN AT APPROX XX40 FROM A FIELD IN GREENSBORO; NC; ON MAY/THU/98. UPON LAUNCH I TOOK THE BALLOON TO AN ALT OF 1000 FT AGL. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED; WINDS WERE 050 DEGS AND 3-5 KTS ON THE SURFACE; FORECAST TO BE 010 DEGS AT 13 KTS AT 3000 FT AND 6000 FT. SURFACE WIND FORECAST WAS VARIABLE AT 3 KTS. AFTER A FLT OF ALMOST 1 HR I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR AN APPROPRIATE LNDG SPOT. FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON; THAT MEANS A LARGE ENOUGH AREA TO LAND SAFELY; REMEMBER A BALLOON HAS NO WHEELS OR BRAKES. THE FIELD MUST BE CLR OF OBSTACLES AND HAVE NO PWR LINES RUNNING ACROSS IT. I SAW SUCH A FIELD AND BEGAN A CTLED DSCNT IN ORDER TO MAKE A GOOD LNDG. AT AN ALT OF APPROX 100 FT AGL I SAW A PWR LINE RUNNING E TO W NEAR THE TREE LINE. I DECIDED TO ABORT THE LNDG AND LEVELED OUT THE ANGLE OF DSCNT TO A LEVEL ALT APPROX 50-70 FT ABOVE THE TREES. AT THAT POINT I WAS ANTICIPATING ANOTHER FIELD JUST PAST THIS TREE LINE. AS I CONTINUED AT THIS LOW ALT I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO OPENING; ONLY HOUSES SURROUNDED BY TREES. I THEN ASCENDED TO AN ALT OF APPROX 800-1000 FT AGL. AT THAT POINT I SAW ANOTHER OPEN AREA APPROPRIATE FOR LNDG. I STAYED AT THIS ALT FOR 5-10 MINS AND THEN BEGAN TO DSND AND MAKE AN APCH TO A FIELD. I LANDED THERE AT APPROX ZZ10. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. ON MAY/TUE/98; I WAS INFORMED BY AN FAA EMPLOYEE OF THE WINSTON-SALEM; NC; FSDO OFFICE THAT A COMPLAINT HAD BEEN FILED AGAINST ME FOR FLYING TOO LOW BY A RESIDENT OF GREENSBORO; NC. THE COMPLAINT STATED I WAS; 'IN THE TREES CRASHING; FLYING RECKLESSLY.' I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE LNDG AREA; AND TO ACCOMPLISH MY LNDG IN A SAFE MANNER. THE RESIDENT PROBABLY DOES NOT KNOW HOW A BALLOON MANEUVERS AND LANDS AND WAS FRIGHTENED. THE SIT OCCURRED DUE TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. WHEN WINDS ARE LIGHT THIS SIT WILL OCCUR.