Not exactly smooth sailing at the 52nd Albuquerque balloon fiesta after 4 incidents
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A drone show and a flawless farewell 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 nine-day event. One balloon partially caught fire Saturday after hitting power lines while landing in a construction site in northwest Albuquerque. On Friday, a balloon pilot with two passengers aboard struck a radio tower and knocked it down west of Balloon Fiesta Park. One person reportedly suffered a head injury Wednesday when a balloon struck a large tree while trying to land at a golf course in Rio Rancho. On Tuesday, nearly 13,000 customers without electricity for almost an hour after a balloon bumped into a power line in Albuquerque.
