Pilot praised for emergency landing after hot air balloon burst into flames
A hot air balloon pilot has been praised after landing a craft carrying 12 passengers when it caught fire over Victoria’s Yarra Valley, with only one minor injury reported.
The balloon had been making its way over the Yarra Valley early Boxing Day morning when its gas tank caught fire, igniting the basket just 20 minutes into the journey.
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at a paddock in Cahillton Road, Gruyere about 6.15am.
A 27-year-old woman was taken to Maroondah Hospital for observation.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said she suffered minor injuries and was in a stable condition and no one else was physically hurt.
Six fire trucks attended and extinguished the blaze.
Experience of hot air balloon pilot ‘paid off’
The veteran pilot has been praised for bringing the balloon down safely, with reports he activated two fire extinguishers while performing the landing.
Commercial ballooning industry spokesman Damian Crock commended the pilot for his quick thinking in landing the craft safely, the Herald Sun reports.
“The pilot has been operating for over 30 years — he’s one of the most experienced pilots in Australia and I think that experience has really paid off today,” he told the newspaper.
Three couples rescued in earlier air balloon crash
The emergency landing follows another air balloon emergency last Friday, in which a hot air balloon carrying three recently engaged couples crashed into a tree in Eltham North.
The basket and balloon had to be cut free by firefighters using chainsaws.
– with AAP
