Bay Area man among victims in Arizona hot air balloon crash
(KRON) — A Bay Area man was among four people killed on Sunday morning when a hot air balloon crash landed in the desert near Eloy, Arizona. Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino was one of four fatalities in the crash. Only one person survived, and she suffered critical injuries.
The other three people killed in the crash were identified as:
Chayton Wiescholek, 28, from Union City, Michigan
Kaitlynn Bartom, 28, from Andrews, Indiana
Cornelius Van Der Walt, 37, originally from South Africa, residing in Eloy, and identified as the pilot
Valerie Stutterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, Arizona was identified as the victim left in critical condition.
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The balloon was operated by Droplyne Hot Air Ballon Rides and was carrying 13 people when it took off, including eight skydivers, according to the Eloy Police Department. The skydiving, police said, was “intentional,” and was successfully completed before any issues with the balloon surfaced.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with Ms. Stutterheim as she receives medical care,” Eloy PD posted on social media.
Eloy’s mayor described what witnesses saw.
“They saw the last ten second before the impact and they said the material of the balloon portion was just straight up,” said Eloy Mayor Micah Powell.
The police department said it is actively collaborating with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash.
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