Not exactly smooth sailing at the 52nd Albuquerque balloon fiesta after 4 incidents
A drone show and a flawless farewell mass ascension ended Sunday’s last day of the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
By AP News
Published - Oct 13, 2024, 02:43 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:24 PM EST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A drone show and a flawless mass ascension ended Sunday’s last day of the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for this year’s hot air balloon event.
One balloon partially caught fire Saturday after hitting power lines and landing at a construction site in northwest Albuquerque. Fiesta officials say nobody was injured and the fire was quickly extinguished.
On Friday, a balloon pilot with two passengers aboard struck a radio tower and knocked it down west of Balloon Fiesta Park.
It was the second time in 20 years that a balloon had come into contact with that tower.
