A hot air balloon crashed to the ground killing 13 people following a mid-air collision with another balloon near Alice Springs (NT). The basket of a descending balloon caught the envelope of an ascending balloon, with 13 people on board. The envelope was extensively damaged, causing it to deflat, then the basket fell to the ground. The Coroner found the pilot of the descending balloon failed to ensure separation from the other balloon or to maintain communications. At appoximately 0645 hours the Flight Service Air Traffic Control Officer alerted the Alice Springs Police of the accident. The Police, the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service, the Northern Territory Emergency Service and the Ambulance Service responded to the accident. |