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Four people dead, one critically injured after hot air balloon crashes in Arizona desert
The balloon was carrying 13 people in total – eight skydivers, four passengers and a pilot
Four people tragically died and one was critically injured after ahot air balloon crash-landed in the southern Arizona desert on Sunday, January 14. A media release from Eloy Police Department reads, “This morning, a devastating incident occurred in our community. At around 7:50 AM, a hot air balloon crash-landed in the desert area east of Sunshine Blvd. and Hanna Rd. in Eloy, resulting in four fatalities and one critical injury.”
“We are working closely with federal agencies, including the NTSB and FAA, to investigate the cause of this tragic event. While we continue our efforts, we ask for your thoughts and support for the families and loved ones affected during this difficult time,” it adds.
Four people tragically died and one was critically injured after a hot air balloon crash-landed in the southern Arizona desert on Sunday, January 14. A media release from Eloy Police Department reads, “This morning, a devastating incident occurred in our community. At around 7:50 AM, a hot air balloon crash-landed in the desert area east of Sunshine Blvd. and Hanna Rd. in Eloy, resulting in four fatalities and one critical injury.”
“We are working closely with federal agencies, including the NTSB and FAA, to investigate the cause of this tragic event. While we continue our efforts, we ask for your thoughts and support for the families and loved ones affected during this difficult time,” it adds.
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The exact cause of the crash is unknown. However, the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident, said that as per preliminary information, it happened after the balloon had an “unspecified problem with its envelope.”
One of the victims has been identified as Katie Bartrom, 28, a nurse from Indiana, according to the Daily Mail. Police said the aircraft crashed into the desert at around 7:50 am, around five miles north of the city of Eloy.
The balloon was carrying 13 people in total – eight skydivers, four passengers and a pilot. It has been reported that as many as eight skydivers leaped from the aircraft before the crash. While one person died at the scene, the others died in the hospital.
“What we know at this point is the skydivers were able to exit the balloon without incident and completed their planned skydiving event, and then shortly thereafter something catastrophic happened with the balloon causing it to crash to the ground,” Eloy Police Chief Byron Gwaltney told reporters.
Gwaltney said that the balloon had come from outside. The skydivers are believed to have wanted to touch down at the Eloy Municipal Airport, which is just down the road from the scene of the crash. “The incident appeared to occur very quickly,” Gwaltney said of the accident, calling it “an absolute tragedy.”
