Un-Airworthy Balloon Crashes With 33 Passengers on Board

One death, 11 injuries, and an arrest came from a hot air balloon accident on June 15 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Authorities claim that the balloon was operating with uncertified equipment and an expired airworthiness certificate.

The balloon was being flown out of Boituva on June 15 - the same date and site of Brazil’s largest annual ballooning show. The event, the 38th Brazilian Ballooning Championship, featured 50 competitive and unique balloons from around the country as well as multiple special activities.

While the balloon took off in Boituva during the event period, it was not part of the championship and was permitted only for private purposes. The Brazilian Ballooning Confederation had called off the day’s events due to worsening weather conditions. On top of this, the balloon was flying with unauthorized equipment and did not hold a current Airworthiness Certificate, rendering the flight illegal.

At around 7:50 am on the 15th, the balloon’s pilot was reportedly struggling to land and ended up crashing into a fence. 33 passengers, plus the pilot and copilot, were on board when the incident occurred, leaving 11 injured and a pregnant woman dead.

The woman killed was identified as 27-year-old Juliana Alves Prado Pereira. She graduated from the University of Vale do Sapucai. Her friends and husband, who were also on the balloon, survived and were taken to the hospital.

The pilot, Fabio Pereira, was swiftly taken into custody by police on charges of flying without proper certifications and aggravated manslaughter. Brazil’s Criminalistics Institute (IC) and the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) were called to investigate the event.

FMI: https://balonismo.org.br