close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

After four incidents, things weren’t exactly smooth at the 52nd Albuquerque Balloon Festival
Michigan

After four incidents, things weren’t exactly smooth at the 52nd Albuquerque Balloon Festival

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A drone show and a flawless mass ascension capped the final day of the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on Sunday. But not everything went smoothly at this year’s hot air balloon event.

A balloon partially caught fire Saturday after hitting power lines and landing at a construction site in northwest Albuquerque. According to Fiesta officials, no one was injured and the fire was quickly extinguished.

On Friday, a balloon pilot with two passengers on board crashed into a radio tower, causing it to topple west of Balloon Fiesta Park.

It was the second time in 20 years that a balloon came into contact with this tower.

The pilot and passengers were uninjured in the crash and were able to land safely, but the radio station was off the air until Saturday.

One person reportedly suffered a head injury on Wednesday when a balloon crashed into a large tree while attempting to land on a golf course. The gondola became stuck 25 feet (7.6 meters) above the ground and the other two people on board the balloon had to be rescued.

On Tuesday, nearly 13,000 customers were without power for nearly an hour after a balloon crashed into a power line in Albuquerque.

“It concerns us when balloon flights do not go as planned,” Fiesta spokesman Tom Garrity said in a statement. “Safe flights are our primary goal, so any accident is too many.”

The nine-day festival is one of the most photographed events in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to New Mexico every fall to see the more than 100 balloons in bright colors and distinctive shapes.

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *