Florida Mom and Child Fall From Hot Air Balloon in China

In the world of aviation, hot air balloons are a safe way to obtain flight. Accidents occurring in hot air balloons are rare, and fatalities are even rarer. In the years spanning 2000 and June 2016, there were only 21 reported fatalities related to hot air ballooning in the United States. In the United States, hot air balloon pilots are required to pass certain safety courses and obtain a license. Hot air balloon equipment is also required to be inspected every 100 hours of flight time, meaning that defects that could lead to crashes are caught before disaster can strike.

The Orlando Weekly reports that a mother and her child fell to their deaths in a hot air balloon ride in China.

The woman and her child boarded a tethered hot air balloon at a pop-up tourist attraction. The anchor rope holding the balloon in place came off its moorings. The balloon eventually drifted into the upper atmosphere, where the balloon burst at about 10,000 feet.

Last week in New Mexico, two people were injured when a hot air balloon hit a power line. Last month, several people were injured in a hot air balloon crash in Las Vegas.

In Florida, helium and hot air balloon attractions are popular. A similar attraction to the one in China is operating at Disney World.

However, unlike the ride in China, the balloon ride at Disney World have redundant safety systems and have an operator on board the balloon.