Balloonist Jumps; Craft Hits Lines
A hot-air balloonist escaped serious injury Wednesday by bailing out of his craft moments before it was picked up by a gust of wind and blown into high-voltage power lines, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.
The pilot, identified as Hubert Erlich of Lancaster, 58, was trying to make a landing in a field, according to Lt. Steven Fredericks. The accident took place at 2:17 p.m. near Avenue M and 60th Street West, about a mile from Quartz Hill High School.
“He was setting down 250 yards from the power lines and was coming to a stop when a gust of wind blew the balloon,” Fredericks said. “He attempted to stop it but couldn’t. He jumped out of the basket just before it hit.”
The balloon became entangled in the power lines, knocking out electricity to 2,400 Southern California Edison customers, said power company spokeswoman Karen Shepard-Grimes. Repair crews restored power within 45 minutes.
Authorities said they did not know why Erlich chose the area for his flight and said it was not an area frequented by balloonists.
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