That balloon was in British Columbia in 2007.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/11-survive-hot-air-balloon-fire-1247688.php
A later view:
Posted on 07/30/2016 9:13:24 AM PDT by gop4lyf
It caught on fire.
07:42 the Balloon flew into a double cirket 345kV line
That’s not video of the accident in Texas.
Apparently not, I thought the segment just after 0.40 was, but it is not.
Black’s BBQ.
And RIP and prayers to their families.
A power line strike at basket level is about the worst thing that can happen to a balloon. The momentum of the balloon pushes the cables against the side of the basket, and then pushes the cables together. That results in a huge arc right at the outside of the basket, inches from the propane tanks. Often, as probably occurred in this disaster, the arc cuts through the tanks, resulting in an immediate, uncontrollable fire.
That is why balloon pilots are trained to avoid power lines, and if one is approaching, perform an emergency deflation to drop under it.
Prayers for those aboard the flight, and their families and friends.
Those poor people. Very sad.
Horrifying.
After reading your post I went to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Practical Test Standards for Commercial Pilots for Lighter-Than-Air aircraft. I couldn’t find anything about emergency deflation. Could you please explain how one accomplishes an emergency deflation?
Looks like it caught fire way before it contacted the power lines
For an FAA safety guide on the topic see:
Thank you! and one last question. We carry portable fire extinguishers in the cockpit and the passenger compartment. Do balloons carry fire extinguishers? You would think for commercial use it would be a requirement.
Surprised to see that Drudge got duped by the same video.
What a tragedy.
In Geneva Switzerland, every year there was a balloon festival and the multicolored beautiful hot air balloons floated past our high rise. So beautiful. You just think of it as a fun activity, like these people must have. Prayers and condolences for all.
I had a summer job at a resort while in college, they were having a big outdoor event and had hired a hot air balloon operator to come in and offer rides. I watched it burn to nothing sitting on the ground in a matter of minutes, the wind got up while he was inflating it, and the flame hit the fabric of the balloon.
That cured me of ever wanting to go up in one.
Yes, although they are only marginally useful. Any sizable propane leak which ignites creates a very large and hot fireball that is not easy to extinguish, except by cutting off the fuel supply.
For some years I spent part of my time in a hot air balloon launch/recovery crew, rode in them a bunch and generally had a good time. Power lines were a big bogeymen and "our" balloon's owner/pilot was safety conscious enough to avoid ever coming close to tangling with one. In Iowa, there used to be - probably still are - a lot of farms that had an electrical line running out to a pole in the middle of what appears to be nowhere, and they can be very hard to see if you aren't watching for them. They were often run out to where an electric pump or some such thing was. Being committed to a landing in a seemingly perfect pasture and suddenly seeing a power line materialize would get you religion real fast!
It never ceased to amaze me how some people would get their aerostat licenses, buy a balloon, assemble a crew, generally spend a lot of time and money (ballooning isn't cheap) and then proceed to burn the mouth of the envelope, take out fences with the basket, misjudge a "splash and dash," come down directly on objects best avoided and generally fly like a bonehead.
Mr. niteowl77
two words: Powered flight.
That balloon was in British Columbia in 2007.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/11-survive-hot-air-balloon-fire-1247688.php
A later view:
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