Hot Air Balloon Lands On Street In Huntley
HUNTLEY, Ill. (CBS) -- A hot air balloon made an emergency landing Monday morning on a street in northwest suburban Huntley.
Huntley police said they received a call around 7:30 p.m. about a hot air balloon that had crash landed near the intersection of Windy Prairie Drive and Songbird Lane in the Sun City subdivision. When police and fire crews arrived, they found a hot air balloon that had landed safely on the street.
Huntley Deputy Police Chief Mike Klunk said the pilot was concerned about high winds pushing the balloon toward high-tension power lines along Interstate 90, and wanted to land before reaching a cornfield between the subdivision and the power lines.
"There was no emergency per se. Obviously he had time on his side, and he was able to make an educated guess ... to put the craft down," he said. "Basically a safe location; it's a relatively large intersection."
Podcast
Neither the pilot nor the three passengers were injured.
It was the second time in five days a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in Huntley. Friday evening, three people landed a balloon at the Pinecrest Golf Course.
"Actually, there was a rather large golf outing that particular night, but he was able to yell out before he landed," Klunk said.
One person suffered a minor injury after a wind gust moved the balloon after it landed. The balloon damaged a tree and part of the greens at the golf course.
