World-Record Hopes Deflated

A hot-air balloon carrying two Japanese men seeking a world record came down in southeastern Manitoba on Thursday, long before the balloonists wanted to land.

They had hoped to break the record for spending the longest time aloft in an AX-10 class of hot-air balloon: 41 hours, 29 minutes. They were in the air for less than 21 hours.

The bright blue, red and black balloon flown by Michio Kanda and Hiro Takezawa landed near a school in Kleefeld, about 30 miles southeast of Winnipeg.

The men had taken off from Stettler, Alberta, on Wednesday at midday.

The failure came a day after an American millionaire lost his bid to become the first person to circle the earth nonstop in a balloon, landing 1,800 miles into the trip in a field in New Brunswick.