A routine hot air balloon ride over southern Brazil ended in disaster on the morning of June 21, leaving at least eight people dead and 13 others injured after a fire broke out mid-flight and the craft plunged from the sky.
The flight, operated by Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos, had launched over Praia Grande in Santa Catarina, a region known for its scenic ballooning. Twenty-one passengers boarded expecting panoramic views of forest and countryside. Instead, a sudden blaze erupted in the balloon’s basket, triggering panic and a desperate attempt to descend.
Survivors say the fire started inside the basket. Pilot Tiago Luiz Lemos, who survived, described how the spreading flames forced him to bring the balloon down and urge people to jump as they neared the ground. Thirteen passengers, including the pilot, managed to leap to safety. Losing weight caused the balloon to surge upward again, carrying the remaining eight passengers before it lost lift and crashed, fully engulfed in flames.
“The flames started to grow, and because of the weight loss, the balloon began to rise again,” Lemos said. “It later fell because of a loss of suspension.”
Investigators believe a backup burner in the basket may have reignited spontaneously. Strong winds during takeoff required ground crews to hold the balloon with cables and even a truck; authorities say that combination could have caused a gas leak that sparked the fire. Despite flame-retardant materials, the blaze spread rapidly. Civil police chief Ulisses Gabriel noted that the truck and cable setup “possibly caused a gas leak, which led to the fire.”
Among the eight victims were two couples, a mother and daughter, an ophthalmologist, and a figure skater. In a haunting detail, three of the deceased were found in an embrace in their final moments. Witnesses recounted seeing people fall from the sky and discovering bodies near horses in a nearby pasture. Rescuers pulled survivors from mud and debris—one woman, coated in mud and visibly shaken, and a limping man were among those saved as emergency crews contended with leaking gas and burning wreckage.
The accident prompted national mourning. Governor Jorginho Mello, who was abroad in China at the time, declared an official period of mourning. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered condolences and pledged federal support for both the victims’ families and the ongoing investigation.
Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) has opened a full inquiry, with preliminary findings expected within 30 days. Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos suspended operations indefinitely, releasing a statement that acknowledged the precautions taken and expressed profound grief over the tragedy.
This crash is the second fatal hot air balloon accident in Brazil in recent weeks. Earlier in June, a separate incident in São Paulo left one woman dead and 11 people injured, intensifying scrutiny of ballooning safety standards across the country.
Passengers on the ill-fated flight had paid roughly $100 each for a 45-minute ride intended to reach about 1,000 meters in altitude. What was supposed to be a memorable experience turned instead into a devastating loss that has shaken the region.