A hot air balloon descended into Bower Street in Bedford at about 9.30am, landing between parked cars, telegraph poles and wires. Video shows several bystanders rushing to help by grabbing a guide rope to lower the balloon and prevent collisions with houses or vehicles. A local, Georgia Balac, said the balloon came down quickly and nearly missed terraced houses and pylons before making a near-perfect landing between parked cars. The British Balloon and Airship Club confirmed the landing occurred without incident and all occupants were safe. UK ballooning follows strict CAA regulations and commercial pilots require licences; the AAIB is investigating a recent separate envelope malfunction.
Footage taken by King shows the balloon trying to land in a residential street between parked cars, telegraph poles and wires. In the video, several bystanders can be seen rushing to help. They grab on to the guide rope to help lower the balloon to a safe spot, helping it to avoid crashing into houses or parked cars.
Georgia Balac, whose partner assisted with the landing using an emergency line thrown down by the pilot, told the Bedford Independent: It was extraordinary. It came down quickly and uncontrollably, very nearly missing the terraced houses and pylons. It made a near-perfect landing between parked cars on either side.
The British Balloon and Airship Club confirmed to the BBC it landed without incident and everyone was OK. Only 98 incidents involving hot air balloons occurred in the UK between 1976 and 2004, according to a report by ScienceDirect. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent aviation regulator in the UK. All ballooning operations must comply with strict CAA regulations to ensure optimal safety for passengers and crew members. One of the main requirements for commercial balloonists is a commercial balloon pilot licence. In April, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it was investigating after receiving a report about a collision in Essex caused by a malfunction with a hot air balloon's aircraft's envelope the large, airtight, balloon-shaped bag where the hot air goes.
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