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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Arizona hot air balloon crash kills four |
| 2024-01-15 |
| [MAIL] A 28-year-old nurse from Indiana has been identified as one of the four people killed in a hot air balloon crash in the Arizona desert. Katie Bartrom's family revealed she died in Sunday morning's crash that left four dead and one seriously injured. Bartrom's mother told ABC Arizona that the young woman, who hailed from Indiana, loved skydiving and adventure. Police said the aircraft crashed into the desert around five miles north of the city of Eloy at around 7.50am. Thirteen people - eight skydivers, four passengers and a pilot - had been in the balloon, according to Eloy Mayor Micah Powell. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #7 I was a "towed jumper" on a ROK Army balloon drop years ago. Totally NOT serious. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-01-15 15:03 |
| #6 This wasn't a Boeing balloon, by any chance? (No, no, had to ask...) BTW, the Brits used to practice airborne jumps from a balloon towed by a truck. For when the fog was too bad for the plane. Totally serious. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2024-01-15 10:15 |
| #5 ^hot air |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-01-15 09:14 |
| #4 ^^ Physics |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2024-01-15 07:57 |
| #3 /\ Balloon inflation requires both hot air and a constant weight applied to ensure uniform inflation. Constant weight, much like that of a parachute canopy. Without the gravitational pull of the heavy basket, tension of the suspension lines is lost and the balloon begins to fold or streamer. If you have a parachute malfunction and cut away the main canopy to deploy a reserve, the malfunctioning canopy simply folds and slips away. The commenter's theory anyway. Sounded valid to me. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-01-15 05:53 |
| #2 I have absolutely no idea what that means, Besoeker, but I’m sure you’re right. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2024-01-15 00:37 |
| #1 As was mentioned in the comments; 'eight way formation jump' resulting in simultaneous reduction of roughly 1.5 tons of cargo, likely caused the basket to bolt skyward, resulting in balloon collapse and streamer. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-01-15 00:09 |