'Eleven dead' in New Zealand hot air balloon crash

[jannyk]

BBC:

Eleven people are believed to have died in a hot air balloon crash near the town of Carterton in New Zealand. The incident happened just before 07:30 on Saturday local time (18:30 GMT Friday), local reports say.

One resident quoted by local media described seeing 10-metre flames bursting from the balloon before it smashed to the ground. Eyewitness Rosalee Thurston described to state broadcaster TVNZ seeing "a puff of smoke in the sky and then flames as the balloon fell to the earth".

Local residents reported a powercut at the time of the crash, suggesting the balloon may have hit an electiricity line.

There are not believed to be any survivors from the crash.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16450659

[Scuba]

1. Balloon ride? I think I'll pass..

[IMG][/IMG]

[alittlelark]

8. That was the Smoky the Bear balloon

I was in town at the time....scary.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/646056/smokey_bear_air_balloon_crashes_w_people_inside/

[greenman3610]

2. ballooning. one of those things that sounds good to talk about..

maybe not so great in real life, for most folk

[Ecumenist]

5. I've taken balloon rides before and they're amazing.

If it's your time to go, it's your time. no matter where you are and what you're in.

[Roland99]

3. I'll take tethered rides for $1,000, Alex.

[mainer]

4. Like helicopters, you have no safety backup

which is why my fixed-wing pilot friends say that helicopters are held together by a "Jesus nut." When that nut fails, well, you get the picture.

[i_sometimes]

7. There is actually a jesus nut...

A local company was just charged with importing substandard nuts and selling them to the Navy.
Apparently, if it snaps or gets loose, its over.


http://theworldlink.com/news/local/article_998c33aa-dae0-11df-8e21-001cc4c03286.html

edited for link

[mainer]

9. I have a pal who used to be a test pilot

Flew in a lot of risky aircraft. But he refuses to fly in a chopper. And he has one other rule: he won't fly a single-engine plane over open water.

I guess that's why he's still alive and kicking all the way into retirement.

[onenote]

12. He's alive because he never flew in a chopper or a single engine plane over water?

You mean everyone who does those things dies from it? Who knew?

[mainer]

13. He's alive because he's a safety-conscious man

which always reassured me because I'm a nervous flyer, and he told me that his time spent in the cockpit (he was a commercial pilot) was the safest part of his day.

[Warpy]

6. 10 passengers? That thing was seriously overloaded

It sounds like he couldn't achieve a decent altitude and grazed power lines, setting fire to the gondola.

It's still sad. Ballooning is not without risk, even when safety precautions are taken. This is a big hot air ballooning town and there are accidents every year.

[ddeclue]

10. That must have been one big-a**ed ballon! 11 people is insane..

Usually it is 2 or 3 people.

[tabasco]

11. How awful.

These balloons are so beautiful.

I got a short ride in one in New Mexico. Very fun and the folks who owned it were extremely cool.