CHP rescue hot air balloon passengers

On 17 May at approximately 07:00 hours, the crew of California Highway Patrol (CHP) Golden Gate Division Air Operations Airplane-37 (A-37) was preparing for the first flight of the day when an inflated, but grounded, hot air balloon was observed three miles (five kilometres) south of the Napa County Airport. As A-37 became airborne, the crew observed the hot air balloon had landed on a thin strip of land surrounded by a network of ponds and sloughs. Further examination of the area revealed there was no road access to the location.

A-37 initially contacted the 17 passengers of the hot air balloon via the airplane’s public address system. The crew established that no one was injured through the use of the plane’s camera and hand signals from the passengers. It emerged that the balloon’s pilot had a portable aviation radio, and the CHP crew advised him that there was no road access to the location before contacting CHP Helicopter-32 (H-32), which was in the Lake Berryessa area, to assist with transportation of the balloon pilot and passengers.

After determining safe landing and drop-off zones, H-32 performed a series of flights to an open area nearby. Carneros Volunteer Fire Department and Cal-Fire assisted with scene safety and medical assessment at the landing zone.