On Sunday morning, Feb. 17, a hot air balloon pilot was forced to make an emergency landing when high winds pushed it towards power lines, according to Vallejo Fire officials.
At around 10 a.m., Vallejo dispatch received reports of the crash on Skaggs Island near highway 37. Shortly after, Solano county’s medic ambulance and California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrived at the scene. The 10 passengers on board were successfully rescued, with one suffering minor injuries.
#VallejoBalloonCrash Update .. 10 patients, all non transport, 1 minor injury. @VallejoFire @MedicAmbulance @ChpSolano @CHP_HQ pic.twitter.com/n4yT2TWnSN
— Medic Ambulance (@MedicAmbulance) February 17, 2019
When is it Safe to Fly?
A pilot’s experience, the aircraft, the environment, and the flight operation are the main risk elements in flying a hot air balloon, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (PDF). According to the department, it is always important to observe the situation, evaluate, and take action if there there is an emergency.
According to Napa Valley Aloft, the best time to fly is early morning when the temperatures are cool and winds are calm.
Typically, this is anywhere between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. but can also be later in the day around 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., according to an air show and balloon festival website.
It added that it’s often best to fly balloons when wind speed range from 4 to 6 mph, and never to fly when the winds are blowing at more than 12 mph. Flight times can last anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes.
“Warm air rises over cooler air, thus the balloon is able to rise when the burner is thrusted,” the website explains. “To help balloons rise, we [need] thermals to be absent or at low activity. These thermals are least prominent in the early morning, just after sunrise, and early in the evening,” it states.
Wind speeds on the morning of the emergency landing did not reach past 10 mph.
At 8:54 a.m., the winds reached their maximum at 9 mph and slowed down to 6 mph at 9:54 a.m. By 10:54, the winds had died down to 3 mph.
“Wind speed at altitude is very different to that on the ground,” Napa Valley Aloft explains.
“Balloon flights typically take place between 1,000 and 3,000 feet above the valley floor and while there might be little or no wind on the ground, issues such as turbulence and wind shear can happen above due to wind.
“Since a balloon’s flight path and distance are dictated by wind, it is important to recognize the wind conditions at altitude.”
