A hot air balloon made an emergency landing on a highway in Vermont after it stalled in flight
Five people were taking a sunset ride on the hot air balloon in Vermont when it stalled and was forced to make an unplanned landing.
Holly Owsianik/ Getty Images
- A hot air balloon had to land on a Vermont highway Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported.
- The pilot made the emergency landing after the balloon became stalled in flight.
- None of the five people on board were injured during the landing in the middle of the highway.
A hot air balloon made an emergency landing in the middle of the Interstate 91 highway in Vermont on Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported.
"The balloon had become stalled in flight and, as darkness was approaching, was unable to secure a safe landing spot other than the interstate," officials told the newspaper. "Pilot was Chris Ritland, who did a good job of landing the balloon safely in the median and avoiding any issues."
It was still inflated while the left lanes in both directions of the highway were closed. It was then deflated and packed away, per the report.
The balloon was carrying four passengers and the pilot on a sunset ride when it stalled in flight, the Valley News reported.
StreetSmart Driving School NH posted a Facebook Reel of the incident, which shows the balloon in the middle of the highway surrounded by emergency vehicles.
Operator Quechee Balloon Rides told Valley News that its "beautiful balloon flight" ended in an "uncommon and unplanned location."
It took off from Quechee Green park in Hartford, Vermont at about 6 p.m. Ritland was then unable to land the balloon at the target spot as winds had suddenly changed direction, Valley News reported.
"The pilot-in-command of the aircraft made a precautionary decision as sunset was nearing to land safely rather than taking unnecessary risk. Our team informed local authorities and officials prior to landing of our intentions so they could assist in ensuring a safe landing," the company said.
A similar incident occurred in April 2022 when a hot air balloon crash-landed on a rooftop of an apartment building in Melbourne, Australia, The Guardian reported.
None of the 12 people on board were injured, but emergency services attended the scene and found the balloon spread across two rooftops and the basket in a car park, the report said.
Quechee Balloon Rides didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.