What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During the sun n fun hound and hare race, the pilot had to inflate the balloon three times because of a clip that kept coming loose. The pilot stated that he thought the flight would be about fifteen minutes and he had never flown in the Lakeland area. He did not realize that the city was so large and without landing areas. The balloon was still flying over residential area toward a large lake. Since he was low on fuel and did not know if he could complete the flight across the lake, he made an emergency landing in the back yard of a house. The pilot was counselled on preflight planning.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING THE SUN N FUN HOUND AND HARE RACE, THE PILOT HAD TO INFLATE THE BALLOON THREE TIMES BECAUSE OF A CLIP THAT KEPT COMING LOOSE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE FLIGHT WOULD BE ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES AND HE HAD NEVER FLOWN IN THE LAKELAND AREA. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE CITY WAS SO LARGE AND WITHOUT LANDING AREAS. THE BALLOON WAS STILL FLYING OVER RESIDENTIAL AREA TOWARD A LARGE LAKE. SINCE HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND DID NOT KNOW IF HE COULD COMPLETE THE FLIGHT ACROSS THE LAKE, HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE BACK YARD OF A HOUSE. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELLED ON PREFLIGHT PLANNING.
Other reports on N6407S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.