By Star Tribune staff
Star Tribune
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Three people survived the crash of a hot-air balloon Wednesday evening on Rochester’s south side, police said.
According to early reports, the balloon was attempting to land in a field shortly before 7 p.m. when a wind gust blew it into a power line along Hwy. 63 , between 40th and 48th streets SW.
The collision detached the balloon from the basket, which fell 20 to 30 feet to the ground. Two of the passengers sustained “very minor injuries,” police said.
Sparks from the power line ignited a brush fire in a ditch, which Rochester firefighters quickly put out. The remains of the balloon landed a couple miles away.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the accident.
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