Investigation underway after hot air balloon crash severely injures three, in Indiana

LOWELL, Ind. A horrifying sight unfolded before witnesses' eyes on the evening of June 3rd, 2023, as a hot air balloon transporting three people struck electrical lines and came crashing down into a field near Lowell, Indiana. According to PEOPLE, all aboard suffered severe burn injuries, as confirmed by local officials.

The Lowell Fire Department reported in a news release on Facebook that the catastrophic crash occurred around 6:50 PM in the 19000 block of Mississippi Street in Lowell, a town roughly 35 miles south of Chicago. The ill-fated balloon, owned by Region Ballooning based in Crown Point, Indiana, had a pilot and two passengers on board when it tragically collided with the overhead power lines.

According to the release "evidence on the passenger basket" indicated an electrical current passed from the lines into the balloon basket, causing severe burns to the three occupants, fire officials said in a news release. Witnesses reported seeing the balloon starting to deflate before crashing into the power lines.

PEOPLE also reported that Debbie Wajvoda, who filmed a video of the tragic accident, said the balloon "hit the power lines and pitched and then blew back up and then just kept rising and floating away" after the initial collision.

Due to the extent of the injuries, two medical helicopters were called to transport one passenger each to the University of Chicago Medical Center and Loyola University Medical Center, respectively. The pilot was taken by ground ambulance to Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point.

Lowell Fire Chief Chris Gambin said there was "electrical arcing and a high degree of energy" from the downed lines into the balloon basket, creating an onboard fire that the pilot was able to extinguish while maintaining control to prevent crashing onto a nearby interstate highway.

Official statements from the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the doomed Lindstrom hot air balloon did, indeed, collide with power lines, causing the catastrophic crash. In the aftermath of this appalling incident that left multiple people gravely injured, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched independent investigations to pinpoint the exact chain of events that precipitated such a disastrous outcome.

Veteran balloonists are well aware that colliding with power lines ranks among the most petrifying scenarios they could face while airborne, frequently leading to critical injuries or even loss of life due to the immense electrical danger involved. The sheer voltage coursing through those power cables holds the potential to deliver a lethal electric shock or inflict devastating burns upon anyone unfortunate enough to come into contact with them. Several similar crashes have occurred in recent years across the United States.