LAFAYETTE, Colo. — A man and a girl were injured after a hot air balloon made a hard landing in Lafayette and another person was injured at the nearby Erie Hot Air Balloon Festival on Friday morning.
At about 7:18 a.m., a balloon pilot attempted to make a quick landing near 700 Avalon Ave. in Lafayette due to high winds, according to Brian Rosipalja with Lafayette Police.
The balloon made a rough landing and two people were injured and transported to the hospital, Rosipalja said. There were five people in the basket, including the pilot, at the time of the landing, according to Rosipalja.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been contacted to conduct an investigation.
Earlier Friday, several hot air balloons were blown over during a launch at the Erie Hot Air Balloon Festival. One crew member got minor injuries when a gust of wind pulled a balloon free of their grasp and they fell about 10 feet, Mountain View Fire Rescue said.
The balloon that made the hard landing in Lafayette was seen launching from the festival early Friday morning.
The Erie Hot Air Balloon Festival hosts balloon launches from 6 to 9 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, directly west of Soaring Heights Pre K-8 at County Road 5 and Colliers Parkway.
There will also be a Balloon Glow from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the northeast corner of Erie Parkway and County Line Road.
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