1998-06 · NASA ASRS report 404382
COMMERCIAL PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON DRIFTED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE DUE TO UNEXPECTED STRONG WINDS WITHOUT TIME FOR THE PLT TO NOTIFY APCH RADAR CTLR OF HIS PROB. THE BALLOON LANDED BEHIND A BLUFF ON A CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAY WHICH BLOCKED THE WIND FOR LNDG.
I WAS THE PLT FOR A COMMERCIAL SCENIC HOT AIR BALLOON TOUR LAUNCHING E OF DEL MAR. AFTER CAREFULLY SENDING SEVERAL TEST HELIUM BALLOONS TO MONITOR WIND DIRECTION AND PROJECT A SUITABLE LNDG SITE; I TOOK OFF. IMMEDIATELY ALL WINDS SHIFTED DIRECTION 45 DEGS TO THE S; WHICH WOULD TAKE ME TO THE DEL MAR MESA PRESERVE WHERE A SAFE LNDG WOULD BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE 10 FT HIGH CHAPARRAL. AFTER OBSERVING THE PIBALS (TEST BALLOON) AND SEEING THEM TURN TO THE NW AT HIGHER ALT; I DECIDED TO CLB TO MOVE BACK ON COURSE. AFTER CLBING TO 4500 FT; I OBSERVED NO CHANGE IN DIRECTION. I DSNDED AND APCHED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AVAILABLE SITE. THE WIND WAS VERY STRONG AT THIS POINT; SO I DECIDED TO FLY ON TO LAND BEHIND A RIDGE IN MIRA MESA; TO LAND BEHIND A 'WIND SHADOW.' THIS UNFORTUNATELY TOOK ME INTO MIRAMAR'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. BECAUSE OF MY SPD; I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RADIO APCH CTL. I WAS APPROX 200 FT AGL AND ON APCH. ONCE BEHIND THE RIDGE AND LOWER; I SLOWED BUT CHANGED COURSE. MY ONLY OPTION WAS A CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAY NEXT TO A MODERATELY BUSY STREET. I LANDED SAFELY AND WAS APCHED BY SAN DIEGO POLICE WHOSE ONLY CONCERN WAS IF I INTENDED TO BLOCK TFC WITH DEFLATION -- I DID NOT. LOOKING BACK; I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE PROB BY LNDG IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND NOT RELYING ON THE NW DIRECTION OBSERVED EARLIER; AS THESE WINDS WERE STRONG; UNSTABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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