PLT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON BELIEVED THAT AN ANGRY PROPERTY OWNER MAY HAVE SHOT AT HIS BALLOON WHEN HE PASSED OVER RANCH PROPERTY AT A LOW ALT IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG IN A FIELD JUST BEYOND THE RANCH BUILDINGS.

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DURING HOT AIR BALLOON FLT ON AUG/XA/00; I WAS ON APCH TO LAND IN A CUT HAY OR SCRUB FIELD JUST N OF FRIEND ROAD S OF GERMANTOWN; OH. FLT ORIGINATED IN FIELD NEAR INTXN OF STATE RTE 4 AND WEAVER ROAD NE OF GERMANTOWN AT XA15. WINDS ABOVE 500 FT AGL WERE FROM APPROX 080 DEGS; BELOW 500 FT AGL APPROX FROM 355 DEGS. I FLEW W OVER GERMANTOWN AT 1000 FT AGL TO APPROX THE INTXN OF MUDLICK RD AND STATE RTE 725. I DSNDED TO 500 FT AGL TO TURN SOUTHWARD. AT APPROX XA35 I SAW A FIELD BORDERING FRIEND ROAD AND DECIDED TO LAND ON THAT FIELD. I DSNDED TO 30 FT AGL OVER A CORN FIELD TO TURN FURTHER SSE. AFTER 2 MINS; I CLBED BACK TO 300 FT AGL WITH THE INTENT TO OVERFLY A FARM; THEN LAND ON THE FIELD IN FRONT OF THE FARM. AS I APCHED THE FARM PROPERTY; A PERSON CAME OUT AND BEGAN SCREAMING AT ME TO 'GET OUT OF HERE.' AS I PASSED OVER THE PROPERTY; THE PERSON BECAME MORE ENRAGED; AND I CHOSE TO ABORT MY LNDG. I APOLOGIZED TO THE PERSON AND BURNED TO ADD ALT. THE PERSON CONTINUED TO CURSE ME REGARDLESS OF MY APOLOGIES AND AS WE PASSED THE FRONT OF THE FARM; BOTH I AND MY CREW MEMBER IN THE BASKET HEARD WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS A GUNSHOT. NEITHER I NOR MY CREW MEMBER CAN SAY WE SAW A WEAPON; BUT WE BOTH ARE CONVINCED THAT SOMEONE DISCHARGED A WEAPON IN THE VICINITY. AFTER ABORTING MY APCH; I CONTINUED W AND S; LNDG IN A FIELD NEXT TO BROWN'S RUN ROAD AT XB22. I AM FILING THIS RPT TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM AN ACCUSATION OF BREAKING MINIMUM ALT REQUIREMENTS. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS BELOW 1000 FT AGL OVER THIS PROPERTY -- I WAS ON APCH TO LAND. I HAVE NOT PURSUED THE POSSIBILITY THAT A WEAPON WAS DISCHARGED IN THE VICINITY; NOR DO I INTEND TO UNLESS THE PROPERTY OWNER CONTACTS THE FAA WITH A COMPLAINT. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY MAP OF THE AREA INDICATED NO 'RED ZONES' IN THE VICINITY OF MY INITIALLY CHOSEN LNDG SITE. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A LNDG IN THAT FIELD OR THE APCH OVER THE FARM WOULD GENERATE THE VIOLENT REACTION ON THE PART OF THE LAND OWNER THAT IT DID.