As far as bucket lists go, hot air ballooning is definitely right up there with the most popular wishes. That may be about to change, however, with the release of the photos from the tragic ballooning accident which occurred in New Zealand in January 2012.

Whilst the cause of the accident is under investigation, it is alleged that the balloon basket had become tangled in some power lines after take off, causing it to burst into flames. The pictures were not released to the public, however, as photographer Geoff Walker was unwilling to release them and relinquish his copyright.

As the balloon plummeted to the ground the passengers were forced to take extreme measures. This from Sky:

Two of the passengers who jumped out when the balloon was about about 20 metres (66ft) up died in the fall.

Hopping and the remaining passengers were killed when the balloon crashed to the ground.

A previous investigation, concluded in 2013, had some stinging criticism for the pilot, with Sky reporting the following:

…investigators said the pilot of the balloon, 53-year-old Lance Hopping, had probably smoked marijuana before the flight.

Now, I’m sure pilot Lance isn’t the first guy to have a toke the night before flying a hot air balloon, but when pilot error is given as the reason for the crash it doesn’t look good. Keep it tidy Kiwis.

[source:sky]