A HOT AIR BALLOON MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AFTER BEING STRANDED ABOVE PWR LINES IN A NO WIND CONDITION IN THE VICINITY OF A FREEWAY; WHICH CAUSED A KANSAS TROOPER TO INVESTIGATE.

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AFTER CONTACTING THE LCL FLT SVC STATION FOR A BRIEFING; I SCHEDULED A FLT USING THAT INFO. IT WAS CALLING FOR THE WINDS TO REMAIN AT OR AROUND 180 DEGS AT 7-8 MPH UNTIL AFTER SUNSET. I WENT OUT TO THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF WICHITA; EXPECTING TO GO N AT LEAST 5 OR 6 MI BEFORE LNDG. THIS IS VERY OPEN COUNTRY AND QUITE ACCESSIBLE FOR BALLOONING. I LIFTED OFF FROM THE PARKING LOT OF A COUNTY FIRE STATION. THIS IS A SITE I HAVE USED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I LET GO OF A PYBALL TO RECHK MY WIND DIRECTION BEFORE I INFLATED MY BALLOON. IT INDICATED A WIND TO THE N. THERE WAS A PERIOD OF ABOUT 30 MINS FROM THE TIME I RELEASED THE PYBALL UNTIL I HAD MY BALLOON INFLATED AND READY FOR LIFTOFF. UNKNOWN TO ME UNTIL I ACTUALLY LIFTED OFF WAS THE FACT THAT THE WINDS JUST DIED COMPLETELY. I FIRST FLOATED OVER A GOLF COURSE AND THEN OVER A LARGE SET OF ELECTRICAL WIRES. I HUNG OVER THESE WIRES FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. I FINALLY FOUND A BREEZE THAT STARTED ME GOING E; BUT IT SOON DIED OUT AS I WAS OVER A 4 LANE FREEWAY. I TOLD MY PAX THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. THE WINDS WENT VARIABLE AND I CONTINUED TO CRISSCROSS BACK AND FORTH OVER THE FREEWAY. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A FIELD ON THE E SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. MY CREW CAUGHT MY DROP LINE AT THE FIRST CHANCE THEY HAD AND PULLED ME OVER TO A FIELD; E OF THE FREEWAY; OFF OF STATE PROPERTY. I CEASED OPS AT THAT TIME AND PACKED UP THE BALLOON. JUST BEFORE I DEFLATED THE BALLOON; A STATE TROOPER PULLED UP AND INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD RECEIVED CALLS FROM MOTORISTS WHO THOUGHT I WAS IN TROUBLE AND HE CAME OUT TO CHK ON ME. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS SIT. I ADMIT THAT I WAS PROBABLY FLYING TOO LOW OVER THIS TFC; BUT I WAS TRYING MY BEST TO FIND A BREEZE TO HELP ME CROSS THIS ROAD SO I COULD LAND AS SOON AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE THIS FLT AND POSSIBLY GET STRANDED OVER SOME PWR LINES. I FEEL THIS SIT CAME ABOUT DUE TO A HIGH PRESSURE SYS THAT MOVED IN FASTER THAN WAS PREDICTED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRY HARDER TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH AN EVENT HAPPENING AGAIN.