How many died in the Arizona desert hot air balloon crash? Investigation launched as one victim hospitalized in critical condition

A disaster led to tragedy on Sunday, January 14, when a hot air balloon crashed over the Arizona desert, leaving four people deceased and one person in critical condition. The reason for the crash hasn't been determined as of yet and is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to local police, the tragedy took place over the Arizona town of Eloy after a group of skydivers had only just jumped from the hot air balloon, and those who remained in the ride were the ones that endured the tragedy. None of the skydivers were hurt.

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The hot air balloon tragedy took the lives of 4 adults

On Sunday, a hot air balloon came hurtling down into the small town of Eloy, taking the lives of four passengers and critically injuring one. According to an Eloy Police Department press release, initially, there were 13 people on the Cameron Balloons-manufactured A-160 passenger balloon operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides.

However, 8 skydivers took off while the rest, 4 passengers and 1 balloon operator remained on the ride. Tragically, the balloon carrying 5 crashed down at the "desert area east of Sunshine Blvd. and Hanna Rd." at around 7:50 AM. According to Eloy Mayor Micah Powell, 1 person died on the scene while three others were taken to a local hospital, where they, too, passed away.

The surviving passenger remains in critical condition after being airlifted to a Phoenix trauma center. The police department press release confirmed that the skydive was intentional and that all the divers were safe. A preliminary NTSB report suggested a problem with the envelope of the balloon. The mayor, who quoted a witness at the scene, said in a press conference:

"The material of the hot air balloon was just straight up and down, and the impact was fairly, fairly large."

The exact cause of the incident is under investigation by the NTSB and the FAA. The official Cameron Balloons website states that a model A-160 balloon is supposed to carry a pilot with 6 or 7 passengers, but in this case, there were 13, including the pilot. However, the press release detailed no evident problems with the balloon until after the skydivers took off.

The identities of the four fatalities in the incident and of the person in critical condition were revealed in the press release. The deceased passengers were 28-year-old Chayton Wiescholek from Union City, Michigan, 28-year-old Kaitlynn Bartrom from Andrews, Indiana, and 24-year-old Atahan Kiliccote from Cupertino, California.

The balloon operator, 37-year-old Cornelius Van Der Walt, was also killed in the incident. Cornelius was a South African who resided in Eloy, Arizona. The person currently in critical condition was identified to be 23-year-old Valerie Stutterheim from Scottsdale, Arizona. The Eloy Police Department wrote:

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with Ms. Stutterheim as she receives medical care."

The mother of Kaitlynn Bartrom (Katie Bartom), Jennifer Hubartt, revealed to ABC 15 that she was a registered nurse who loved adventure and skydiving. Hubartt said that her daughter was a "beautiful person." She revealed:

"I talked to her while she was down there and she was really enjoying the experience and having fun and seeing a new place that she had never seen before."

Katie Bartrom was one of the victims of the tragic crash (Image via Facebook)

Cornelius Van Der Walt's valley skydiving friend, David Boone, told ABC 15 that Cornelius was an experienced and "excellent" hot air balloon pilot who "knew what he was doing". He told the outlet:

"It hit me as a shock. Just because, you know, Cornelius is always super careful. He's very, very aware of what he's doing. He's been doing it for a long, long time and he only got better with time."

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Eloy is a site famous for its skydiving potential. The popular Skydive Arizona is only 5 miles away from the accident site. It is described as the "World's Largest Skydiving Center" and the "skydiving capital of the world."