Accident – death – Obituary News :

Hot Air Balloon Crash in Arizona Desert Claims Four Lives

Tragic Incident Leaves One Critically Injured

Arizona: A hot air balloon crash in the southern Arizona desert resulted in four fatalities and one critically injured individual on Sunday. The Eloy Police Department issued a statement, describing the incident as “devastating” and expressing their condolences to the affected families.

At approximately 7:50 AM, a hot air balloon crash-landed in the desert area east of Sunshine Blvd. and Hanna Rd. in Eloy. The department is closely collaborating with federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to investigate the cause of this tragic event.

While the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, preliminary information from the NTSB suggests that the balloon encountered an “unspecified problem with its envelope.” The NTSB is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

One of the victims, Katie Bartrom, a 28-year-old nurse from Indiana, was identified by the Daily Mail. The crash occurred approximately five miles north of Eloy and involved a total of 13 individuals on board the balloon. Among them were eight skydivers, four passengers, and a pilot.

According to reports, several skydivers were able to exit the balloon before the crash. Unfortunately, one person lost their life at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The Eloy Police Chief, Byron Gwaltney, provided further details on the incident, stating, “The skydivers completed their planned skydiving event without incident. However, shortly thereafter, something catastrophic happened with the balloon, causing it to crash to the ground.”

Gwaltney revealed that the balloon came from an external source, and the skydivers had intended to land at the Eloy Municipal Airport, which is located near the crash site. He described the accident as “an absolute tragedy” and emphasized the suddenness of the event.

The Eloy Police Department continues to work closely with the NTSB and FAA to gather all necessary information for a comprehensive investigation. They also highlighted ongoing efforts to support the affected families and requested thoughts for their well-being during this challenging time.

As the investigation progresses, authorities hope to uncover the exact cause of the crash and implement measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future..