Pilot Escapes With Serious Injuries In Accident, One Of Three Friday North Of ABQ

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 10.10.08 1600 MDT: Family members say Keith Sproul, pilot of the "Wings of Wind" balloon that impacted power lines Friday morning near Bernalillo, NM, suffered severe injuries in the tragic accident that claimed the life of his passenger.

KOB-4 reports Sproul, 49, fell approximately 60 feet shortly after the tetrahedron balloon struck power lines near a graded dirt lot. Witnesses say the balloon contacted power lines twice, with the second contact sparking a fire (shown in screengrab below) that quickly engulfed the balloon's gondola.

"The gondola separated and fell, but the balloon continued to rise. There was a large flame under the balloon, it rose so fast it made the balloon take off almost like a missile or something," said witness Paul Solozabal.

Spectators who responded to the accident scene found Sproul unconscious. His co-pilot -- identified as Stephen Lachendro by officials -- fell about 45 feet from the gondola after the second power line contact, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sproul was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital. His brother told KOB Sproul suffered "burns to the face, a broken femur, a broken hip, and punctured lungs."

The balloon was destroyed in the accident, one of three incidents Friday involving balloons flying during the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

An 11-year-old boy is recovering after he fell out of a gondola when his balloon landed hard about a 1/2 mile west of where the "Wings of Wind" accident occurred, became entangled in the balloon's lines and was dragged by his neck for about 20 feet. About 15 miles to the east, a 16-year-old female suffered minor injuries when she was dragged during a landing attempt. It is not known whether she was a passenger, or part of the chase team.

Wings on Wind was involved in an incident at last year's Fiesta, as well. According to the NTSB, the balloon struck a home while attempting to land in stronger-than-anticipated winds.

Investigators with the Board, and the FAA, will be on sight through the weekend to investigate the three incidents.

(Screengrab image from KRQE-13)

Original Report

0930 MDT: At least one fatality has been confirmed in a hot air balloon accident near Bernalillo, NM, north of Albuquerque on the last Friday of the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. A second person was reportedly airlifted by helicopter, in critical condition.

KOAT-7 reports the balloon's gondola separated from the envelope as the aircraft was approaching ground for landing. There are unconfirmed reports the balloon's propane tanks exploded inflight, and that one or both of the men onboard jumped from the basket prior to the crash.

Another local television station, KOB-4, adds video footage of the crash shows the balloon striking a power line as it approached to land. Live footage of the accident scene shows the gondola lying near a power substation, with numerous power lines in the area.

The basket fell to the ground from an unspecified height near the intersection of Highways 528 and 550, rast of the Enchanted Hills subdivision. The envelope flew on, eventually landing north on the San Felipe reservation, about halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The  envelope's impact sparked a small brush fire.

Witnesses tell ANN either the gondola or envelope may have been aflame shortly before the balloon crashed. The balloon was of the "inverted pyramid" type, an angular tetrahedron design distinct from the typical style of hot air balloon.

770-KKOB cited reports from other pilots in the area, that winds near the crash site were gusting as high as 16 miles-per-hour, at least 6 mph higher than optimum.

This is the second ballooning fatality in as many years during Albuquerque's annual ballooning event, which draws anywhere from 700-800 hot air balloons each year. As ANN reported, a California woman was killed when she fell 60 feet from a balloon in October 2007, after the balloon became stuck on a fiber-optic line near an Albuquerque intersection.

Initial reports say the pilot of the "Wings Of Wind" balloon (shown on a trading card, above) was from Massachusetts, and was a participant in the Fiesta.

All liftoffs from Balloon Fiesta Park, about 15 miles southeast of the accident site, were grounded following the accident.

ANN will update this story as more information becomes available.

FMI: www.balloonfiesta.com/