Balloon Disappears After ‘Accidental’ Landing

Tue., July 27, 1999

When a hot air balloon landed in a field near some homes on the South Hill Monday, it apparently looked like an crash landing and was reported as a crash, but it wasn’t a crash.

The Spokane Fire Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene near 57th Avenue and the Palouse Highway. But then they turned around and left. There was no distress call, there was no crash, they said.

The balloon landed on a field off Julia Court and 61st Street. It was a beautiful summer night, with a big round moon coming up and plenty of people out walking when the balloon landed.

Stacy Studstill was at home when something blocked out the sun. He ran out to see the balloon and it “plopped down” in the field after clipping a couple of apple trees on its way, Studstill said.

He and other people in the area ran out with cameras, Studstill said.

“It’s not something you see every day,” he said.

Deby Hanson and her daughters, Karissa, 11, and Vanessa, 5, were out for a stroll when they saw the balloon come down like it was landing, then they saw flames like it was going back up. Then it went down swiftly, Hanson said.

By the time they got to the site, the balloon was packed up and being taken away, Hanson said.

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