Four people are dead and another person is seriously injured following a hot air balloon crash in Eloy, police said.
The balloon crash occurred just before 7:30 a.m. on Sunday near Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Road in a desert area. Multiple people made 911 calls to report the crash.
Eloy Mayor Micah Powell said 13 people were on board the balloon gondola – eight skydivers, one operator and four passengers.
The incident occurred after the eight skydivers had exited the balloon.
According to an eyewitness, the material of the hot air balloon was straight up and down as it came down and the impact was large.
Three people were taken to an area hospital, where they later died. One person was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, Powell said.
The person in critical condition was taken to a trauma center in Phoenix, according to Powell.
Information about the balloon’s flight plan, including its take-off point and destination, is not available. Gwaltney said the balloon did not originate in Eloy.
The cause of the crash is unknown, police said. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are at the scene investigating.
Investigators are speaking to witnesses and reviewing video of the incident to piece together what led up to the crash.
The names of the individuals involved in the incident were not released. Gwaltney said next-of-kin notifications are ongoing. He said all the victims are adults.
© Copyright RawNews1st
