4 dead in Arizona hot air balloon crash

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Four people were killed and another is in critical condition after a hot air balloon crash in the Arizona desert Sunday morning, the Eloy Police Department said.

There were 13 passengers in the balloon gondola, 8 of whom were skydivers, according to a statement from Eloy Mayor Micah Powell.

Powell said he was told by onlookers that after the skydivers jumped, something went wrong with the balloon, the fabric of which "was straight up and down," Powell said. "The impact was very large."

Powell said three of the victims were transported to a local hospital where they died. The fourth fatality occurred onscene.

"The details are slim as we stand here right now, " said Eloy police chief Byron Gwaltney. "Next of kin notifications are still ongoing and not everyone is local."

Relatives of one victim confirmed that 28-year-old registered nurse Katie Bartrom is among the dead. Bartrom, an outdoor and skydiving enthusiast, was from Indiana, her family said.

Eloy, about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix, is a busy spot for hot air balloon enthusiasts and is known for its balloon festivals and related activities.

Powell described Eloy as very close knit with a highly active skydiving community.

The crash happened in craggy desert scrub land about 5 miles north of town. The weather was clear and cold with temperatures in the mid-30s at the time of the accident.

"We have the world's largest drop zone," Powell said. "And when this occurs in our community, it affects us. It saddens us that we had to report this."

Powell said one of the city council members is a skydiver and that the incident hits especially close to home.

"This is sad," Powell continued. "You go up on a Sunday morning to feel the breeze, the coldness on your face, expecting to see your friends skydive out of a hot air balloon which is not uncommon and then we have a situation like this, so that's the sad part."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are on the scene and trying to determine the cause of the crash, officials said.