A tragic hot air balloon incident in Eloy, Arizona, resulted in four fatalities and left another individual critically injured, according to local police. The accident occurred around 7:50 a.m. on Sunday when the balloon, carrying 13 adults, including eight skydivers, descended in a desert area east of Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Road, as reported by CNN. The skydivers had exited the balloon before it crash-landed.
The craft was aloft with a pilot, four passengers, and the eight skydivers when "something catastrophic occurred with the balloon, causing it to crash to the ground," Eloy Police Chief Byron Gwaltney explained in a news conference reported by CNN. The names of the victims have yet to be released publicly as authorities are in the process of notifying families, the police said, and one of the deceased was identified by relatives as Katie Bartrom, a 28-year-old nurse from Indiana, who was enjoying the Arizona skies with friends.
An investigation into the exact cause of the crash is underway. Early insights suggest the hot air balloon experienced an "unspecified problem with its envelope," according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as reported by CNN. Eyewitness accounts of the moments leading up to the crash indicated a significant impact. The NTSB is documenting the crash site and will move the aircraft to a secure facility for further inspection."
Cameron Balloons, the manufacturer of the A-160 passenger balloon model involved in the accident, has been contacted for comment by CNN. This specific model can carry a pilot and up to seven passengers, as stated by the manufacturer's website. Meanwhile, local authorities in Eloy are collaborating with the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the investigation. "While we continue our efforts, we ask for your thoughts and support for the families and loved ones affected during this difficult time," said the Eloy Police Department in a statement obtained by CNN.
