BURLINGTON, Wis. — Three occupants of a hot air balloon sustained life-threatening injuries when their craft collided with a Canadian National freight train on Wednesday night.
At 8:15 p.m. on June 1 the Burlington Police Department responded to the 400 block of Calumet Street after receiving a report that a balloon had been struck by a train. Two people in the balloon were airlifted by helicopter to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. A third occupant of the balloon was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
“Early reports from witnesses on scene indicate the hot air balloon appeared in distress and collided with a northbound Canadian National train,” Burlington Police Chief Brian Zmudzinski said in a news release.
Burlington is about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee on CN’s former Wisconsin Central main line.
CN police assisted local first responders. CN declined to comment about the incident, which appeared to involve a merchandise train.
Burlington police, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, CN, and the Wisconsin State Patrol are investigating the crash.
Being a former BNSF trainman/Conductor/and engineer back in the 90’s, I had a similar incident but thankfully no injuries. I was running a Paducah northbound empty coal train slowing for a stop at the home signal for the former IC/now CN Crossing in Centralia just south of the Centralia Yard. The annual Scott AFB balloon race was in full swing and a balloon was in trouble. Thankfully no injuries as the basket hit the track in front of us, and the basket flipped over tossing the pilot out before the balloon was hit. After calling the yard office and requesting the obvious law enforcement and medical personnel and telling them what had transpired, I took a lot of good natured flack about the incident. When the pilot was asked about the balloon, he said he was only the pilot and the owner of the balloon was the St Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper. We all had a good laugh. Only damage was the basket and the lines connecting the basket to the balloon as the deflated balloon laid just east of the tracks. This ws the second time I heard of an altercation between a balloon and a train.
Gearld, why can’t it be both, not either/or? i.e. The bat hit the ball, well can it be argued that the ball hit the bat also? They hit each other. That’s how the game is played.
Reference the “balloon incident/Canada”:
I commented earlier that the engineer with situatinal awareness and ability to lessen the injury was a hero. THAT comment was called to question and I guess the problem with those who complained, is that the engineer should, “not have bragged on his actions”. Those persons who complained were in industry and said the system (higher ups in the company) should be the ones to make the “detailed annoucement”. My comment on that…..we as the general public, would never hear of the incident at all. Anything the common man does as a moral or logical duty for mankind always goes unheard of.
Good stuff, that ain’t news, Bad stuff, now that makes headlines. endmrw0606221557
Interesting that in just one little article on Trains News Wire you get two conflicting reports of the incident…one statement says the train hit the balloon(possible, but highly unlikely, and not what happened in this case), and the witnesses reports that state the balloon struck the train(which in fact is the truth).
My former employer (now retired), a class I carrier, used to preach to us in our rules classes that we, the employees, had the power and the responsibility to prevent all accidents. I’d like to hear what they’d say about this one.
I hope that all those who were injured make it through to recovery.
Results would have different (worse) if engineer had not acted responsibly. See his account featured below left (related articles). endmrw0602221900
well that’s something never heard of in railroad safety
You know, I’ve been in or around this business my entire life. I’ve lost count of the incident reports I’ve written along with the video downloads, event recorder downloads, maintenance history compilations, et.al. One gets to the point where one thinks they’ve seen/heard it all. And then something happens…
A woman was killed and two children injured May 30th in a parasailing accident in the Florida Keys when they struck the old Seven-Mile Bridge on the former FEC Overseas Extension.
Welp, that’s one for the books. But I do sincerely hope that everyone involved recovers.