Posted on 06/26/2021 11:49:09 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Four people died and one person was in critical condition after a hot air balloon they were riding in hit power lines in New Mexico’s largest city, police said Saturday.
The crash happened around 7 a.m. on Albuquerque’s west side, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. No identities have been released but fire officials said two males, including the pilot, and two females died.
The multi-colored balloon skirted the top of the power lines, sending at least one dangling and knocking out power to more than 13,000 homes, Gallegos said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Will que mala need to remind Pedo Joe about calling mexico’s gov in santa fe?
Who flys these things anywhere near power lines? RIP.
13000 homes, figure that line was capable of sourcing something like 50 MW, maybe more. Something you don’t want to be anywhere near.
I’m interested if there will be a toxicology report for the pilot.
“Who flys these things anywhere near power lines? RIP.”
They were flying at 500 feet. No power lines there.
If you watch the video/ news report it appears there was some malfunction at altitude, then hit power lines on the way down.
My Aunt lives in that area and those balloons are up all the time it seems, with or without it being their festival season.
Amazing to me that there aren’t more fatalities, just based upon percentages.
Hopefully, those that died were doing what they loved best in the world. :(
:(
Did the fall or the power kill them? I suspect the fall.
God damn people who are paid to write don’t know anything about the English language. Skirted is to go close by but not to touch so if they skirted the power lines it would have been scary for them and that’s about it.
RIP.
The video shows the ballon was completely deflated and dropping very fast. The jolt may have killed them, but the sudden stop finished the job.
There are many reasons that mankind switched to airplanes rather than balloons. (Glide path…)
Or just basic controlled flight, not at the mercy of the wind.
That would be the filthy gobernadora Grisham.
“It is balloon!” Wild Eagle
There was a similar incident during Balloon Fiasco back in 2000 or 2001, IIRC.
“Skirted is to go close by but not to touch so if they skirted the power lines it would have been scary for them and that’s about it.”
Well..... maybe a little cleanup in the shorts as well.
I lived in Albuquerque for a while stationed in the Air Force. Then my wife got stationed there. So we went to the annual hot air balloon festival for 4 or 5 years.
There were accidents every once in a while and at least 2 fatalities I remember during that time. One crashed into the Sandias mountains immediately behind Albuquerque.
None of those accidents involved power lines.
I have taken one ride in a balloon and was on the chase crew for several other flights. I prefer the chase vehicles instead of being in the air. But that's just me. I know several people who used to fly their own balloons for years and never had any problems.
As an industry in the US, hot air ballooning is considered very safe. Fatalities are rare. But of the deaths recorded between 2000 and 2016 (21 total), these four deaths in the Albuquerque are a fifth of those total deaths.
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