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Two dead and one missing in Virginia hot-air balloon accident | Two dead and one missing in Virginia hot-air balloon accident |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A second body was recovered on Saturday from the crash of a hot-air balloon carrying three people that drifted into a power line and burst into flames in front of hundreds of horrified spectators. | A second body was recovered on Saturday from the crash of a hot-air balloon carrying three people that drifted into a power line and burst into flames in front of hundreds of horrified spectators. |
Late on Saturday authorities suspended until daybreak a search for the third person who was in the balloon's basket. | |
"We still have not located the basket or the balloon. We do continue to keep finding debris and various items that would have been on the hot air balloon," Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told a news conference. | |
Witnesses said they heard the anguished pleas of the passengers on Friday night as the balloon touched the power line and erupted into flames. | |
On the ground, "It was complete silence," eyewitness Nancy Johnson said. "There were people praying. It was horrible." | On the ground, "It was complete silence," eyewitness Nancy Johnson said. "There were people praying. It was horrible." |
The balloon crashed on Friday night ahead of an inaugural balloon festival. It was among 13 balloons that took off from Meadow Event Park, home to the State Fair of Virginia, and was approaching a landing site nearby. Two of the balloons landed safely before the third hit the live power line. | The balloon crashed on Friday night ahead of an inaugural balloon festival. It was among 13 balloons that took off from Meadow Event Park, home to the State Fair of Virginia, and was approaching a landing site nearby. Two of the balloons landed safely before the third hit the live power line. |
The pilot attempted to retain control of the balloon and snuff the fire and two passengers either jumped or fell from the gondola, Geller said. | |
"Then witnesses recall hearing an explosion and the fire continued to spread," Geller said. The gondola and the balloon then separated. | "Then witnesses recall hearing an explosion and the fire continued to spread," Geller said. The gondola and the balloon then separated. |
Two women's basketball officials at the University of Richmond were among the three people aboard the balloon, the university said in a statement. | |
They were associate head coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis, the statement said. | |
Police could not confirm which of the three people on board the balloon was still missing and which two were confirmed dead. | |
Federal investigators were at the scene in rural Carolina County. | Federal investigators were at the scene in rural Carolina County. |
The crash occurred on the eve of the official start of the Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival, which was cancelled followed the crash. The area is about 25 miles north of Richmond. Johnson said the crash occurred in an instant. | |
"One minute the balloons were hovering in a field behind Event Park, the next everyone is pointing at sky," she said. | "One minute the balloons were hovering in a field behind Event Park, the next everyone is pointing at sky," she said. |
Carrie Hager-Bradley said she saw the balloon in flames on her way home from the grocery and heard people yelling. | Carrie Hager-Bradley said she saw the balloon in flames on her way home from the grocery and heard people yelling. |
"They were just screaming for anybody to help them," she told WWBT TV. One person screamed, "Help me, help me, sweet Jesus, help. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die." | "They were just screaming for anybody to help them," she told WWBT TV. One person screamed, "Help me, help me, sweet Jesus, help. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die." |
Donnell Ferguson said he was cutting grass when he saw a couple of balloons passing by. One was low, barely at tree-top level. | Donnell Ferguson said he was cutting grass when he saw a couple of balloons passing by. One was low, barely at tree-top level. |
"At first I saw a cloud of black smoke and then I noticed the basket on fire," he said. "Then it just took off real fast and disappeared." | "At first I saw a cloud of black smoke and then I noticed the basket on fire," he said. "Then it just took off real fast and disappeared." |
The crash occurred during a special festival kickoff event Friday for about 740 people. Twenty balloonists from the Mid-Atlantic region were to participate in the weekend festival, said Greg Hicks, a spokesman for the venue. | The crash occurred during a special festival kickoff event Friday for about 740 people. Twenty balloonists from the Mid-Atlantic region were to participate in the weekend festival, said Greg Hicks, a spokesman for the venue. |
"It's just a shocking situation for everyone," Hicks said. | "It's just a shocking situation for everyone," Hicks said. |
Johnson, who went to the festival with her husband, photographed the balloon as it rose. | Johnson, who went to the festival with her husband, photographed the balloon as it rose. |
"I turned around and just automatically started taking pictures," she said. "It just kept going up, up, up in the air." | "I turned around and just automatically started taking pictures," she said. "It just kept going up, up, up in the air." |
Some balloons landed safely in Debra Ferguson's yard, the Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg reported. One of the men in the balloons pointed up at another still in the air and said he thought it might be in trouble. | Some balloons landed safely in Debra Ferguson's yard, the Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg reported. One of the men in the balloons pointed up at another still in the air and said he thought it might be in trouble. |
"As soon as we looked up, the thing blew up right there," Ferguson told the newspaper. "All I heard was, 'Oh my God, Oh my God,' and all you saw was the top of the balloon still flying, but all of the basket was gone. All of the flames just disappeared … it was like a match – poof and then it was gone." | |
Troy Bradley, past president of the Balloon Federation of America, said most serious accidents on balloons including fires, electrocution or baskets becoming severed happen after hitting power lines. Most were due to pilot error, he said. | |
Fatal accidents happened less often than with other types of aircraft, Bradley said. | |
"Hundreds of thousands of flights will go without any notice. That one that hits the news gets all the attention, but ballooning is a very, very safe form of aviation." |