One Dead, 7 Hurt In Balloon Accident Passengers Dumped From Gondola; Balloon Owned By Spokane Firm
One person was killed and seven others injured Sunday when a hot-air balloon hit a tree, dumping its passengers out of the gondola to the ground below.
The crash occurred shortly after 7 a.m. near a country road a mile from town, about 25 miles southwest of Portland, Marion County fire officials said.
Six of the eight passengers, including the pilot, were taken to Portland hospitals with broken bones and other injuries.
A Salem man and his wife had spinal fractures, said University Hospital spokeswoman Sandy Poole.
The dead man was identified as Carl Allamand, 70, of Union.
The balloon was owned by American Hot Airlines, based in Spokane. Company employees at the scene refused to discuss the accident and calls to the company’s Oregon and Washington phone numbers were not answered.
Witnesses said the red, white and blue balloon was traveling west over Interstate 5 when it hit a tall Douglas fir. Donald Fire Department spokesman Walt Miller said the tree was 50-75 feet tall, but it wasn’t known how far the passengers fell.
“We think the basket must have tipped on the way down. If all of them had fallen from that height, there would have been a lot more trauma involved,” Miller said.
The basket and its occupants landed at the base of the tree, Miller said. The balloon, completely deflated, also ended up at the bottom of the tree.
Eight people were riding in the balloon, an Avion Magnum IX, which had taken off about 6 a.m. from Isberg Park, a recreational vehicle park just east of the Aurora-Donald exit on Interstate 5.
The cause of the crash was under investigation, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Debbie Taylor said.
Three of the injured were from Portland, including the pilot, Frank Schweighardt, 40. He suffered rib and leg injuries.
Sheriff’s Deputy Grover Wilson said the pilot, Frank Schweighardt, apparently had planned to land near the crash site to pick up more fuel tanks and change passengers. He struck the tree as he was descending.
Six of the injured were taken to University Hospital.
John Nicholaou, 29, of Salem was in critical condition with a spinal fracture. His wife, Helen, 30, was in serious condition with spinal injuries.
Mary Jo Frank, 50, of Portland, was in serious condition with a broken leg and arm.
Tom Gifford, 42, of Portland was in fair condition with a broken leg. Patty Fisher, 36, was in fair condition with multiple bruises. Schweighardt, 40, was in fair condition with a spinal injury.
The eighth passenger, Margaret Konsella, 18, was in surgery Saturday evening at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland for a broken nose, ribs and ankles.
The crash was the second serious hot air balloon accident in Oregon this year. In June, two people were seriously burned when a balloon at Tigard’s Festival of Balloons fell into power lines.