Two Dead in Canada Hot Air Balloon Fire

"arjay" wrote in message
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"octothorpe" wrote in message
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"arjay" wrote in message
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"octothorpe" wrote in message
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"Bald White Male 47 165 lbs" wrote in message
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"Buda" wrote in
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Pic: *A hot air balloon's basket bursts into flames shortly after
takeoff


I bet it was caused by a broken valve.

Or a malfunctioning pressure regulator caused a hose to burst.
Either way it appeared that mass quantities of fuel were releasing
during the flight.

Strictly, there was no flight. The fire started while the balloon was
still tethered. Most who got out jumped from close to ground level.
That made the gondola lighter, of course, so when the tether burned
through the thing rose quickly. A couple of people jumped from around
50 metres. Those who died didn't jump in time.

http://www.cbc.ca/photogallery/canada/669/

Balloon flight has limited control at best. Either up or down with the
wind determining the rest. If our language has another word strictly for
what occurred then I'd be glad to see it.

OK ... then this balloon "flight" was analogous to what happens to a
conventional, fixed-wing aircraft when the engines fail at altitude and
the pilot and all but two passengers bail. Physics takes over. The
aircraft continues "flying" for a bit, but it is eventually destroyed
along with the two people it still carries.
The balloon pilot left the gondola while the craft was still tethered.
The ascent was entirely uncontrolled, and (as the pics available at
http://www.cbc.ca/photogallery/canada/669/ show) the air bag was consumed
by flame in mid air.

Tom



I've no problem with all that, arjay. I just mentioned an opinion about
the source of the fire.