LOWELL, Indiana: The pilot of a hot air balloon and its two passengers were burnt after it collided with power lines and crashed to the ground in northwestern Indiana, officials said this week.
The incident occurred late last week in Hebron, Indiana, about 56 miles southeast of Chicago, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email to The Associated Press.
The Lowell Fire Department stated that the balloon crashed about 13 miles southeast of Hebron. In a social media post, the department said evidence showed an electrical current passed from the power lines to the basket. All three people suffered burns.
The two passengers were taken by medical helicopters to hospitals in Chicago, while the balloon’s pilot was taken to a hospital in nearby Crown Point, Indiana. Their names have not been released.
The FAA said the information they had was preliminary, and the National Transportation Safety Board was investigating.