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Hot-Air Balloon Makes Safe Street Landing in Edmond, Police Say

The pilot cited near-calm winds from a high-pressure ridge that left few options for a controlled descent.

Overview

  • A hot-air balloon touched down in the middle of a residential street in Edmond, Oklahoma, prompting a police response.
  • Edmond police said no one was hurt and officers cleared the scene before reopening the roadway.
  • Pilot Darrell Duer Jr. told KOCO that a high-pressure system cut surface winds to near zero, so he circled a small area and selected a neighborhood street to land.
  • Six people were in the basket during the landing, and the flight was a standard sightseeing ride with no special event planned.
  • Police released photos of the scene, and the incident highlights that balloonists control altitude but depend on wind for direction, which can lead to safe improvised landings when breezes stall.