/ CBS Minnesota
Hot air balloon comes crashing down near Rochester, Minnesota highway
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A hot air balloon crashed Wednesday evening in Rochester, Minnesota, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News in a statement that there were three people aboard the balloon when it crashed at about 6:50 p.m. local time. Two people reported minor injuries.
The incident occurred near U.S. Highway 63 southbound, between the exits for 40th Street Southeast and 48th Street Southeast, according to CBS affiliate KIMT.
Rochester Fire Capt. Chad Kuhlman told KIMT that no one was seriously injured.
MORE NEWS: Dozens of bald eagles drawn to Lake Traverse by "extreme, crazy" fish kill, DNR says
"Everyone is miraculously ok," Kuhlman said. "They hung up on the power lines. The was some sparking going with them hanging in the power lines in the basket. Eventually, the wire gave way and the basket and they took a drop from that wire to the ground."
The Rochester Police Department says preliminary information indicates the balloon had been trying to land in a field when a gust of wind pushed it into a power line. That's when the basket and balloon became disconnected, causing the basket to fall 20-30 feet to the ground. The balloon was located a couple of miles away.
A small fire broke out next to the basket, which firefighters were able to quickly extinguish, according to a press release.
The FAA said it will investigate the incident, along with the National Transportation Safety Board.
Rochester is located about 85 miles south of Minneapolis.
Riley Fletcher Moser is a digital line producer at wcco.com. At WCCO, she often covers breaking news and feature stories. In 2022, Riley received an honorable mention in sports writing from the Iowa College Media Association.