Hot-air balloon makes emergency landing at Hopewell school Sunday; no one injured

Bill Atkinson, The Progress-Index
·2 min read
A hot-air balloon is shown making a descent Sunday, March 5, 2023 near Cavalier Square in Hopewell.
A hot-air balloon is shown making a descent Sunday, March 5, 2023 near Cavalier Square in Hopewell.

HOPEWELL – A hot-air balloon was forced to make an emergency landing Sunday afternoon at a city middle school, but no one was reported injured and the scene was quickly and efficiently cleared.

The landing happened late Sunday afternoon at Carter G. Woodson Middle School on Winston Churchill Drive. The reason for the landing was not immediately made known, but the balloon’s pilot was able to safely touch down on a grassy area beside the school, and emergency personnel quickly jumped in to assist in stabilizing the craft.

A Hopewell Police officer on scene estimated that from the time the balloon landed until it was safely stowed in a trailer and removed took about 15-20 minutes.

Hopewell resident Tammy Williams was at nearby Cavalier Square and took photos of what unfolded. Williams said she had just left the shopping center when “right there was the biggest hot-air balloon I ever saw.” When she saw emergency personnel coming into the shopping center parking lot, she said she turned her car into line and followed them back to Cavalier Square.

“It looked like it was going to land at Cavalier Square,” Williams said.

A hot-air balloon touches down in an emergency landing Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell. No injuries were reported, and the scene was cleared quickly.
A hot-air balloon touches down in an emergency landing Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell. No injuries were reported, and the scene was cleared quickly.

When it became apparent that was not going to be the case, the line of police and fire personnel left the shopping center and headed across Winston Churchill Drive to Woodson School … with Williams in tow, grabbing photos as she was able.

By the time she got to Woodson School, the basket had landed. Williams said she saw “a bunch of cops holding on to ropes” in an effort to deflate the balloon and keep it was drifting away.

“I tried to see if anyone was still in the basket, but there was so much going on around it, I could not tell,” Williams said. It was at that point that emergency personnel began directing the non-essential vehicles out of the area.

The Hopewell Fire & EMS Department was the primary emergency agency at the scene. A message left with the department to find out more information about why the balloon landed or who owned it was not immediately returned.

Emergency personnel assist in the deflation of a hot-air balloon Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell. The balloon was forced to make an emergency landing at the school. Fortunately, no one on the ride or on the ground was injured, and the scene was cleared in less than 15 minutes.
Emergency personnel assist in the deflation of a hot-air balloon Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell. The balloon was forced to make an emergency landing at the school. Fortunately, no one on the ride or on the ground was injured, and the scene was cleared in less than 15 minutes.

There are no listings for any hot-air balloon-ride companies in central Virginia. Most of the Virginia-based companies are located either in northern Virginia or across the Shenandoah Valley.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, hot-air balloon accidents are rare. Since 1964, there have been less than 800 recorded crashes of these balloons nationwide.

The last recorded hot-air balloon disaster in Virginia occurred in 2014. Three people died when a balloon attempting to land at a festival near Richmond became entangled in power lines and caught fire.

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Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell school is site of unexpected hot-air balloon landing