Woman falls from air balloon basket

Woman falls from air balloon basket

The basket of a hot air balloon flying in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta tipped after hitting power lines Monday, killing a woman who was thrown out of the basket, police said.

The unidentified woman and the pilot were believed to be the only people on board, state police spokesman Andrew Tingwall said.

The pilot was trying to land the balloon and had thrown out a tether line when the balloon began to rise again, striking nearby power lines and tipping the basket, Tingwall said. It was not clear if the landing was planned or an emergency.

The crash site is about three miles from the launch site for the fiesta, a nine-day event that began Saturday and features special-shaped balloons and competitions for balloon pilots.