New Mexico: 1 person dies in Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

We know that some of our readers were looking forward to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, running Oct. 4-12, 2008. Sadly, one person died Friday when a basket caught on fire and crashed.

From the Associated Press, “Balloon Gondola Crashes in Flames at N.M. Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta; 1 Dead”

“Two people — a pilot and a passenger — were aboard the Wings of Wind balloon when it crashed north of Albuquerque, said Kathie Leyendecker, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held each October.

She did not know whether it was the pilot or the passenger who was killed, and had no immediate word on the condition of the second person.

Were you at the festival? Did you ride in one of the balloons? Tell us about your experience in your own words.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Ron Lustig]

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 10, 2008 at 11:01 am by Jen Leo and is filed under New Mexico. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.