Hot air balloon crash leaves 3 injured in Indiana; federal investigation underway

Three people were injured when a hot air balloon crashed into power lines and caught fire in northwest Indiana, authorities said.

A Lindstrom hot air balloon “crashed after striking power lines” in Hebron, Indiana, around 6:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to USA TODAY on Monday. Three people, including the pilot, were on board during the incident.

According to the Lowell Fire Department, firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after the crash and discovered the plane in a field with a balloon envelope and basket still attached. Three people with burns were found in the basket.

“There were indications that electrical current from the power lines entered the passenger basket and injured the three people in the basket,” said a fire department press release. “Due to the severe burns, two rescue helicopters were called to the scene of the accident.”

Fire officials said two victims were flown by helicopter to hospitals in Chicago, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Hebron. The third victim, whom fire officials identified as the pilot, was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Crown Point, Indiana.

Authorities said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash and the NTSB is leading the investigation.

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Studies on hot air balloon accidents

While hot air balloon accidents are still rare, several fatal crashes in recent years have drawn national attention and prompted federal authorities to review the safety of hot air balloons, according to personal injury law firm Penney and Associates.

Citing NTSB data, Penney and Associates reported that there have been a total of 775 hot air balloon accidents since 1964 through 2022. However, a 2013 study of hot air balloon accidents found an increase in accidents between 2000 and 2011.

The study found that the number of accidents resulting from paid rides appears to have increased over time and that the accident rate increases as regulation decreases. The study analyzed 169 hot air balloon accidents and found that 78 of them occurred during rides with over 500 passengers.

Of these 78 accidents, about 83 percent resulted in at least one serious or fatal injury, according to the study. “The inverse relationship between accident rate and oversight raises concerns about the public health impacts of less regulated commercial air travel, such as paid hot air balloon rides,” the study authors warned at the time.

The federal authorities have also repeatedly called for stricter controls on air travel and have implemented corresponding regulations in recent years.

In 2017, the FAA and the Balloon Federation of America developed an “Envelope of Safety” accreditation program for ballooning after a crash in Lockhart, Texas, killed 16 people in 2016. The program requires pilots of balloons capable of carrying more than four to six passengers to be commercially certified for at least 18 months and meet other qualifications.

Then in 2022, the FAA passed a new rule requiring pilots of hot air balloons carrying paying passengers to have a medical certificate and pass a medical examination.

“While this is a promising step, I remain concerned about the safety of passengers on commercial balloon flights,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a statement in 2022. “We have seen time and again the deadly consequences of unscrupulous air travel operators. That’s why we need strict FAA oversight of all commercial passenger flights.”

Latest hot air balloon accident in the USA

At least two other hot air balloon accidents have been reported this year. In March, a hot air balloon crashed into a power line after a gust of wind pushed the balloon away as it attempted to land in a field next to a Minnesota highway.

According to officials, the basket detached from the hot air balloon and fell 6 to 9 meters. Three people were on board, but no one was seriously injured.

In January, a hot air balloon with 13 people on board crashed in the Arizona desert. The pilot and three other passengers were killed in the incident, authorities said.

Contributors: Kinsey Crowley and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hot air balloon crash in Indiana: Investigation underway after 3 injured