Hot air balloon crashes into power lines near Minnesota highway, basket and 3 passengers fall

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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A hot air balloon crashed into a power line Wednesday night, sending the balloon floating off for miles and the basket's passengers falling to the ground.

Officials believe a gust of wind pushed the balloon into the power lines as it was attempting to land in a field along a highway in Minnesota, according to a news release from the City of Rochester, Minnesota Police Department.

Hot air balloon basket that disconnected from the balloon when the aircraft hit a power line alongside a highway outside of Rochester, Minnesota.
Hot air balloon basket that disconnected from the balloon when the aircraft hit a power line alongside a highway outside of Rochester, Minnesota.

The basket disconnected from the hot air balloon and dropped 20 to 30 feet to the ground, the release states. Three people were inside the basket and none were seriously injured, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration's preliminary report shows the three people in the basket consisted of one pilot and two passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board said the balloon, an Aerostar International S53A, will be examined at a future date.

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation captured the crash on a highway camera, as posted online by local crime tracking X account MN Crime.

The video shows the hot air balloon drifting down towards the highway while cars whizz by. As the balloon appears to make contact with the power lines, a few large bursts of light flash at the base of the balloon.

The balloon then floats up, folds over on itself and drifts out of frame. Rochester police say the found the balloon a couple of miles away.

Firefighters put out a brush fire that occurred after a hot air balloon crash. The balloon hit a power line and the basket disconnected from the balloon. The people in the basket only reported minor injuries.
Firefighters put out a brush fire that occurred after a hot air balloon crash. The balloon hit a power line and the basket disconnected from the balloon. The people in the basket only reported minor injuries.

Soon smoke starts to billow out from the ground and cars stop alongside the incident, the MN Crime video shows.

Officials said there was a small brush fire that started where the balloon's basket landed, which was extinguished by the Rochester Fire Department.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hot air balloon crashes after hitting power lines near Minnesota highway