- A hot air balloon was forced to make an emergency landing on a Vermont highway, according to the Boston Globe.
- The pilot chose to land on the highway after the balloon became stuck in mid-air.
- No injuries were reported among the five individuals on board during the highway landing.
A hot air balloon made an emergency landing in the middle of Vermont’s Interstate 91 highway on Wednesday, as reported by the Boston Globe.
According to officials, the balloon had experienced difficulties in flight and, with darkness approaching, the pilot, Chris Ritland, deemed the highway as the safest landing option. He successfully landed the balloon in the median without any issues.
The left lanes in both directions of the highway were temporarily closed while the fully inflated balloon remained in place. Eventually, it was deflated and packed away.
The balloon was carrying four passengers, in addition to the pilot, for a sunset ride when it encountered the stall, according to the Valley News.
StreetSmart Driving School NH shared a Facebook Reel of the incident, revealing the balloon surrounded by emergency vehicles on the highway.
Quechee Balloon Rides, the operator, described the landing as an “uncommon and unplanned location” for their “beautiful balloon flight.”
The balloon had taken off from Quechee Green park in Hartford, Vermont, but due to sudden wind direction changes, the original landing spot was no longer feasible, as detailed by Valley News.
“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,” stated the company.
A similar incident occurred in April 2022 when a hot air balloon crash-landed on a rooftop in Melbourne, Australia, according to The Guardian. Fortunately, none of the 12 individuals on board were injured, although emergency services were called in to manage the situation.
Insider reached out to Quechee Balloon Rides for comment, but they have not responded outside of their normal working hours.
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