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

Three people were injured after a hot air balloon struck power lines and caught on fire in northwestern 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 responded to the scene shortly after the crash and discovered the aircraft in a field with a balloon envelope and basket still attached. Three people were found inside the basket with burn injuries.

"There was evidence on the passenger basket that electrical current passed from the power lines to the basket and injured the three people in the basket," the fire department said in a news release. "Due to the severe extent of the burn injuries, two medical helicopters were called to the scene."

The fire department said that two victims were airlifted to hospitals in Chicago, which is about 56 miles northwest of Hebron. The third victim, who the fire department 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 probing the crash with the NTSB 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 re-examine hot air balloon safety, according to Penney and Associates injury lawyers.

Citing NTSB data, Penney and Associates said there have been a total of 775 hot air balloon accidents since 1964 as of 2022. But a 2013 study of hot air balloon crashes saw a rise in accidents between 2000 and 2011.

The study noted that incidents attributed to paid rides appeared to have increased over time and that crash rates grew with decreasing regulation. The study analyzed 169 hot air balloon crashes and found that 78 occurred during tours involving over 500 occupants.

Of those 78 crashes, about 83% resulted in at least one serious or fatal injury, according to the study. "The inverse relationship between crash rates and oversight raises concerns about the public health impact of less-regulated commercial air tour operations, such as paid hot-air balloon rides," the study authors warned at the time.

Federal authorities have also repeatedly called for more oversight of air tours and have implemented rules in recent years.

In 2017, the FAA and Balloon Federation of America developed an "Envelope of Safety" accreditation program for balloon ride operations after 16 people were killed in a 2016 crash in Lockhart, Texas. 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 to meet other qualifications.

The FAA then adopted a new rule in 2022 that requires pilots of hot air balloons that carry paying passengers to hold a medical certificate and pass a medical exam.

"Though this is a promising step, I remain concerned about passenger safety on commercial balloon flights," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a statement in 2022. "We’ve seen the deadly consequences of unscrupulous air tour operators time and again. That is why we need strong FAA oversight of all revenue passenger-carrying flight operations."

Latest hot air balloon accident in U.S.

There have been at least two other hot-air balloon accidents reported this year. In March, a hot air balloon crashed into a power line after a gust of wind pushed the balloon as it was attempting to land in a field along a highway in Minnesota.

Officials said the basket disconnected from the hot air balloon and dropped 20 to 30 feet to the ground. Three people were on board but none were seriously injured.

In January, a hot air ballon carrying 13 people crashed into the desert in Arizona. The pilot and three other passengers were killed in the incident, authorities said.

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY