Hot Air Balloon Crash in Arizona
Four people were killed Sunday morning when a hot air balloon crashed in Arizona, police said.
The balloon came down around 7:50 a.m. local time in the desert area east of Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Road, officials in Eloy said. Eloy is about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix.
One person was critically injured in the crash. There were five people on board at the time of the deadly crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Earlier in the morning, the balloon had taken off with eight skydivers and five others on board, Eloy Police Chief Byron Gwaltney told CBS affiliate KPHO. He said it appeared the skydivers planned to jump to the Eloy Municipal Airport, which is a large skydiving center. The skydivers exited the balloon without incident before the crash.
"And then, shortly thereafter, something catastrophic occurred with the balloon causing it to crash to the ground," Gwaltney said.
The Eloy Police Department announced on Monday the names of the victims involved in the tragic incident. The victims are Chayton Wiescholek, 28, from Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, from Andrews, Indiana; Atahan Kiliccote, 24, from Cupertino, California; and Cornelius Van Der Walt, 37, originally from South Africa but residing in Eloy. The pilot of the balloon was Cornelius Van Der Walt. The critically injured victim is Valerie Stutterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Eloy Police Department, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA, are currently investigating the cause of the crash. The NTSB initially identified the aircraft as a Cameron Balloons A160, but later corrected it to a Kubicek BB 85 Z. According to an NTSB spokesperson, the balloon crashed into the desert terrain after experiencing an unspecified problem with its envelope.
On Monday, the NTSB confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies with the balloon. Investigators have separated the balloon from the basket and found everything to be intact. They will be examining the balloon's envelope for any anomalies. Additionally, an electronic device and a recovered video camera have been sent to NTSB headquarters for analysis.
The balloon was operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to the police.
Earlier this year, two individuals lost their lives and a young girl sustained injuries after the hot air balloon they were riding in caught fire near Mexico City. In another incident, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a hot air balloon collided with power lines resulting in the death of five individuals in 2021.
