BALLOON PLT LANDS IN RESIDENTIAL AREA DUE TO UNEXPECTED WIND CONDITIONS.
Synopsis
BALLOON PLT LANDS IN RESIDENTIAL AREA DUE TO UNEXPECTED WIND CONDITIONS.
Narrative
I PLANNED AND BEGAN A FLT FOR 6 PAYING PAX FROM MY LAUNCH FIELD. SURFACE WINDS WERE LIGHT WITH FORECAST WINDS ALOFT FROM WNW. ONCE AIRBORNE; I FOUND THAT ALL WINDS FROM GND LEVEL TO 2500 FT AGL WERE HEADED S TOWARDS THE CITY. I FOUND NO GOOD LNDG SITES ALONG THE RTE UNTIL 55 MINS INTO THE 60 MIN PLANNED FLT. THERE WAS A RELATIVELY NEW NEIGHBORHOOD STRETCHING ACROSS OUR PATH WITH BIG YARDS; UNDERGROUND WIRING; AND DOWN IN A VALLEY LIKELY INSURING GENTLE WINDS AND AN EASY LNDG. I MADE THE LNDG ON A FRONT LAWN AND LET THE BASKET SLIDE FORWARD TO THE STREET. IT IS POSSIBLE I WAS CLOSER TO THE HOMES THAN 200 FT AS I APCHED AND LANDED. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MEASURE. A NEIGHBOR CAME OUT; YELLING AT US AND STATED HE HAD CALLED THE POLICE. HE AND HIS WIFE DISPLAYED AN IRRATIONAL LEVEL OF ANGER AND BEGAN TRYING TO INCITE THEIR NEIGHBORS. ALL THE OTHER NEIGHBORS WERE SMILING AND UNCONCERNED. I DECIDED THAT THAT AREA WAS NOT AS SUITABLE FOR DEFLATION AS IT APPEARED FROM THE AIR. TOO MANY PLANTINGS AND SMALL TREES; I BURNED AND LIFTED OFF AND LANDED IN A LARGER AREA 1/4 MI CLOSER TO THE CITY. IF THE WINDS AT 3000 FT HAD BEEN AS FORECASTED; I NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE THAT DIRECTION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.