Third body recovered in deadly hot-air balloon crash

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USA Today

Natalie DiBlasio

Searchers have found the remains of the third victim from a hot-air balloon that caught fire and crashed Friday night in Virginia's Caroline County.

The University of Richmond confirmed that associate head women's basketball coach Ginny Doyle and Natalie Lewis, head of women's basketball operations, were killed in the accident. Balloon pilot Daniel Kirk, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in the military for 37 years, had more than 30 years of ballooning experience, according to his father.

Searchers found the remains of the last victim at 11 a.m. Sunday morning, about 100 yards from where a second body was found Saturday. The finding came just hours before the University of Richmond's 2014 graduation ceremony.

The incident happened after several hot-air balloons took off from Meadow Event Park, about 25 miles north of Richmond, as part of a Friday preview for Saturday's Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival. Two balloons landed safely, but as Kirk's balloon attempted to land, it struck a power line and burst into flames.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/11/balloon-crash-va-richmond/8961073/

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(Photo11: Dean Hoffmeyer, AP)

[Skittles]

1. so very sad

from what I have read the pilot was very experienced and competent - I guess I don't understand why balloons need to land anywhere NEAR power lines

[titaniumsalute]

2. They don't try to land near power lines

That is the most dangerous part of the flying of balloons.

[Raine1967]

3. I don't think they were landing.

From all the local stories I have read this was really just an unfortunate accident.

It's horrific what happened. The gondola on the balloon caught fire and witnesses in the area saw the pilot try to release the gas so the balloon would stop rising. Witnesses saw the balloon go down but no one knew where it went down for a long time.

WE hade tickets to go today, and I was glad they cancelled the weekend event. Our Money will be refunded so, instead We are going to donate the money we paid for the tickets to the families of those that died. A lot of people who had tickets are asking to do so.

[Skittles]

8. this is what I read

Three hot-air balloons took off from Meadow Event Park and headed northeast to a pre-approved landing zone about two miles away from the park.

Two landed safely at a designated spot. As the third balloon was
landing, state police said it struck a power line and burst into flames.

[Submariner]

4. It sounds like the sport ballooning community

needs to sit down with the local power grid operators and see if they can pre-plan a quick power-line power shut down in the event of an imminent accident. A phone call going to a designated number where that particular power-line grid in the vicinity of the ballooning event can be de-energized.

Of course those on the local grid subject to lose power would have to buy into what could be a life saving plan. It would be interesting to see how the public would respond to giving up some juice to stop a tragedy.

[James48]

9. Not possible.

You can't plan on where you are going good enough to ever pre-plan for a power line shutdown in advance.
You don't steer a balloon- you have to naviage whereever the wind takes you.

I'm a 30+ year balloonist- and yes, this sort of thing happens from time to time, unfortunately.

[Faygo Kid]

5. Awful way to go. How very sad.

Think I'll pass on a ride, as beautiful as the balloons are.

[TeamPooka]

6. RIP

[tofuandbeer]

7. God, that is horrible!