Balloon pilot in Nepal lands tourists safely in rice field after near-miss with power lines
Turkish-born balloon pilot Mehmet Nuri landed a hot air balloon in a rice field in Nepal after a strong downdraught pushed it dangerously close to power lines. His Instagram video of the flight has drawn wide attention on social media.
A hot air balloon pilot working in Nepal has averted a potential tragedy during a tourist flight. Mehmet Nuri, who is of Turkish origin, managed to land the balloon in a rice field after a strong downdraught pushed it dangerously near electricity lines. None of the passengers were harmed, and video of the incident has attracted considerable attention online.
Nuri posted the dramatic footage on his Instagram account. It was filmed from inside the basket. At first the tourists are seen calmly taking photos of the surroundings. Then sudden turbulence and an 11-knot wind began forcing the balloon downward. The pilot ran the burner at full power, but this did not stop the descent.
The rope snapped
As the balloon neared high-voltage lines, Nuri lowered a rope to the ground so the crew could anchor it. The rope broke. The pilot told the passengers to stay calm and take the landing position, and steered the balloon toward a nearby rice field. It came to a stop after sliding several metres along the ground.
The pilot's comments
In his post, the pilot said that not every flight goes to plan and that what matters is making the right decisions when the unexpected happens. He said the struggle continued despite maximum burner power, and thanked the ground team and favourable weather. In his words, staying calm in the sky is just as important as courage. He concluded that everyone is safe.
