[W2CRA] Fwd: North Brunswick man injured in balloon accident still in critical condition

Sun Oct 12 12:48:00 EDT 2008

Not sure if this has gotten around to the group yet, but Keith Sproul,  
WU2Z was critically injured Friday at the Albuquerque balloon festival  
yesterday, and a passenger in his balloon was killed.

Balloon pilots somber at NM festival after death

By HEATHER CLARK
Associated Press Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Pilots of hot air balloons on Saturday  
mourned the loss of one of their own in a fiery crash at Albuquerque's  
famous festival, even as they said another pilot fighting for his life  
after the accident would want them to keep flying.
Saturday's weather failed to cooperate. Windy, stormy weather grounded  
balloons readying for a morning mass ascension, and evening fireworks  
also were canceled, lending a somber mood to the Albuquerque  
International Balloon Fiesta.

Keith Sproul of North Brunswick, N.J., was critically injured Friday  
when the gondola of his Wings of Wind balloon crashed into power lines  
and exploded into flames over the town of Bernalillo. His co-pilot,  
Stephen Lachendro of Butler, Pa., was killed.

Sproul remained in critical condition Saturday, a hospital spokesman  
said.

"Our friend who's fighting for his life in the hospital, he would have  
wanted us to fly if it was flyable. I mean, that's what we do," said  
balloon pilot Chris Keefe of Oshkosh, Wis.

Keefe said Sproul was one of about a dozen balloon pilots who belong  
to the dawn patrol, a handful of balloons that launch before sunrise  
to test air currents for other balloons that will take off later. The  
crash occurred around 8 a.m., too late for Sproul to have been  
carrying out those duties.

The pilots said Sproul would want them to learn from the accident.

Pilot Craig Kennedy of Albuquerque said of Sproul: "I'll bet you that  
he will share his experience with any pilot who will listen to explain  
what happened, so that we can learn from it."

Balloon fiesta spokeswoman Kathie Leyendecker said Lachendro was a  
"very well-loved pilot."

"There's lots of warm conversations and reminiscing going on today,"  
she said.

Pilots and fiesta organizers gave no thought to shutting down the  
festival, which ends Sunday.

"It provides a lot of joy and excitement for a lot of people," Keefe  
said. "We don't consider (ballooning) a risk-taking activity. Just  
like an airline pilot flying cross-country with a load of passengers,  
he doesn't consider his job a risky thing."

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.  
Witnesses on the ground said it was windy at the time, and authorities  
said they received several reports of hard landings within about 15  
minutes of the crash.

Six people died from 1990 to 2007 when their balloons hit or snagged  
power lines during the fiesta. Four died in 1982 when propane tanks on  
a balloon exploded.

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On the Net:

Sproul's Special Shape Balloons: http://www.skychariot.com