Hot air balloon, deflated with burner on, crashed near Eloy.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the hot air balloon involved in a crash on January 15, 2024, that resulted in the deaths of four people and one person being critically injured, was already deflated with the burner on before it hit the ground. The crash occurred near Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Road in Eloy, Arizona, around 65 miles south of Phoenix. The flight had departed from Casa Grande with Eloy as its destination. The report states that the balloon's envelope was deflated and had burn damage, with several panels damaged and the sewn rim tape near the top frayed.

January 26, 2024
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