By Daniel Trotta(Reuters) - Four people including the pilot died and another person was critically injured when their hot air balloon crashed into the Arizona desert on Sunday after eight skydivers had successfully jumped out of the basket, investigators said.
"The balloon impacted desert terrain following an unspecified problem with its envelope," the NTSB said, referring to the outer bag of the balloon.
"It is important to clarify that the skydiving was intentional and was successfully completed by all skydivers before any issues with the hot air balloon were evident," the Eloy Police Department said in a statement.
Survivor Valerie Stutterheim, 23, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was in critical condition, police said.
The company operating the flight, Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, had a perfect safety record, according to its website.
Persons:
Daniel Trotta, skydivers, Wiescholek, Kaitlynn Bartrom, Atahan Kiliccote, Cornelius Van Der Walt, Valerie Stutterheim, Droplyne, Eloy, Michael Perry
Organizations:
U.S . National Transportation Safety, NTSB, Eloy Police Department, Police, South, Company
Locations:
Arizona, Eloy, Phoenix, Washington, Union City , Michigan, Andrews , Indiana, Cupertino , California, South African, Scottsdale , Arizona, Moab , Utah, Carlsbad , California