VIDEO: Hot air balloon slams into Sky River Casino building in Elk Grove, makes emergency landing
FROM KCRA THREE NEWS. WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS AND THAT BREAKING NEWS WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW IN ELK GROVE LIVE PICTURES FROM LIVECOPTER3. AND THAT IS A HOT AIR BALLOON THAT IS NOW ON THE GROUND. IT LANDED SAFELY. SAFELY AFTER A PRETTY SCARY SITUATION. AND YOU CAN SEE THE BASKET IS ON THE GROUND AND THEY’VE NOW ROLLED UP THAT HUGE HOT AIR BALLOON. BUT LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE IT TOOK OFF LAST MINUTE. SO LET’S GO AHEAD AND CHECK IN. THERE IT IS. THE BALLOON WAS AT SKY RIVER. THEY WERE DOING A BIG RIBBON CUTTING AND IT THE PILOT APPARENTLY HAD TO LAUNCH IT AT THE LAST SECOND BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY’RE CALLING UNEXPECTED WINDS. AND YOU SAW THE BALLOON HIT THE SIDE OF SKY RIVER IN ELK GROVE. AND YOU CAN SEE ON ONE PART OF THE WIRES THAT ATTACH FROM THE BALLOON TO THE BASKET. ONE OF THOSE WIRES BROKE OFF. SO IT’S KIND OF LEANING THERE ON THE SIDE, KIND OF AT A 40 DEGREE, 45 DEGREE ANGLE POINTING TOWARDS THE GROUND. AND THERE YOU SEE IT FLOATING UP, UP AND AWAY OVER, I BELIEVE, HIGHWAY 99 THERE. AND IT JUST KIND OF GOING UP AND UP AND UP. YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS ONE MAN IN THERE. SO LIVECOPTER3 WAS OVER THE SCENE BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING A RIBBON CUTTING OF A NEW HOTEL PROJECT. AND THEN THAT HAPPENED. IT WAS UNEXPECTED. AND THERE WAS ONE PERSON IN IT AS THAT. IT WAS KIND OF A GETAWAY BALLOON. AND AS WE LOOK CLOSER, YOU CAN SEE IT ONLY HAD THREE WIRES THAT WERE ATTACHING FROM THE ENVELOPE. THAT’S WHAT THE BALLOON IS CALLED. AND THEN THERE’S A SKIRT BENEATH THAT, THE BALLOON OR THE ENVELOPE THAT WAS KIND OF BROKEN A LITTLE BIT. AND ALL OF THAT ATTACHES TO THE BASKET AND ALSO ATTACHES TO THE BURNER. SO THIS WAS EARLIER. AND THEN HE, HE FLOATED FOR ABOUT TWO MILES. HE TRIED TO LAND ONE TIME AND THEN ABORTED THAT LANDING AND THEN ENDED UP LANDING WHERE WE SHOWED YOU THE LIVE PICTURES AT WATERMAN AND GRANT LINE ROAD. GRANT LINE. THAT WAS ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY. AND HERE IS THE LANDING THAT HAPPENED ABOUT 12:29 P.M. WE WERE WATCHING ALL OF THIS AS WE WERE IN THE SPECIAL REPORT, AND YOU CAN SEE HIM BRINGING IT DOWN SAFELY. THERE’S REALLY SOME HUGE FIELDS IN THIS AREA. THERE’S ONLY ONE BIG TRACTOR WAREHOUSE THAT IS NEARBY HERE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT WAS JUST A LOT OF GRASS. THERE ARE SOME HOMES ACROSS THE STREET, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO BRING IT DOWN VERY SLOWLY AND WAS ABLE TO DO IT ALL BY HIMSELF. AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. AND THEN HERE YOU CAN SEE HIM KIND OF BRINGING IT DOWN. AND OF COURSE, USING USING THE BURNERS AND AGAIN, SKY RIVER SAYING DUE TO UNEXPECTED HEAVY WINDS, THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAUNCH INTO FREE FLIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS. THE BALLOON AND PILOT HAVE LANDED SAFELY. THAT IS FROM CINDY RODRIGUEZ FROM THE PR PERSON FOR SKY RIVER. SO LET’S GET IT OVER TO METEOROLOGIST DIRK VERDOORN. SO DIRK, THERE WERE NO WINDS THAT WERE FORECASTED OR TRACKED IN THE AREA. YEAH. SO THERE’S THERE’S SEVERAL OBSERVATION SITES THAT ARE AROUND THERE, NOT SPECIFICALLY AT THE CASINO AREA, BUT TO THE NORTH, TO THE SOUTH AND THE EAST AND THE WEST. AND THE WIND GUSTS WERE RANGING ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO 6MPH. SOME GUSTS, MAYBE UP TO ABOUT EIGHT MILES PER HOUR. SO I THINK THAT’S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HERE IS BECAUSE THIS WAS UNEXPECTED. WINDS WERE FAIRLY LIGHT. SO THE BALLOON OPERATION WAS GOING ON AS PLANNED. AND THEN YOU COULD SEE HOW THAT BALLOON WAS CARRIED AWAY OVER THE CASINO AND HIT THE CASINO BECAUSE OF A GUST OF WIND, EVEN WHEN IT LANDED. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT RIGHT THERE. THEY’RE PROBABLY LIKE, OH, THE WINDS ARE PICKING UP, SO WE BETTER GET UP OFF THE GROUND SO WE CAN BE SAFE, BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT THAT BALLOON TO RUN INTO THE CASINO OR TO ANY OTHER LIGHTS THAT ARE AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO HE WAS PROBABLY THINKING, I NEED TO GET UP IN THE AIR. SO THAT WAY IT’S SAFER FOR ME BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING TO RUN INTO ONCE YOU GET UP IN THE AIR. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WASN’T QUICK ENOUGH AND THE SIDE OF THE BALLOON DID HIT THE CASINO. AND WHAT’S INTERESTING, THERE’S LOTS OF CABLES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE BALLOON, THE BALLOON, AND THE BASKET. AND IT WAS JUST ONE QUARTER THAT ONE THAT CLIPPED IT. NOW THERE’S A SKIRT THAT’S ON THE BASE OF THE BALLOON, THE ENVELOPE OF THE BALLOON. AND THEN THERE’S A LITTLE THING CALLED A SCOOP OR A WIND GUARD THAT’S THERE TO HELP SHIELD THE WINDS FROM THE BURNER THAT’S GOING ON. AND THAT GIVES THE LIFT TO THE BALLOON. BUT THAT GOT COMPLETELY SHREDDED. AND THAT ONE CORNER, THE CABLES ACTUALLY BROKE, LIKE LISA WAS MENTIONING. AND THAT’S WHY THE BASKET WAS HANGING AT KIND OF AN ANGLE THERE. YOU CAN SEE THAT PRETTY WELL. HOW MUCH OF AN ANGLE IT WAS SITTING AT. YOU CAN SEE THE SHREDDED SCOOP ON THE SIDE OF THE THE BALLOON THERE AT THE BASE OF THE BALLOON BETWEEN THE BASKET AND THE SKIRT OF THE BALLOON. BUT LUCKILY EVERYTHING WENT WELL AFTER THAT. I MEAN, HE WAS ABLE TO FLY TO A SAFE LOCATION, GET ACROSS HIGHWAY 99. SO LET’S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE PATH THAT THE BALLOON TOOK. IF WE TAKE. THIS IS ACTUALLY A DOPPLER MAP THAT I HAVE THAT WE CAN SHOW YOU. HERE’S A SACRAMENTO COUNTY. I’M GOING TO ZOOM INTO ELK GROVE AREA AND YOU CAN SEE TO THE SOUTH OF ELK GROVE HERE, WHERE GRANTLINE COMES INTO HIGHWAY 99. AND GRANTLINE TURNS TO THE CAMERA. THAT’S WHERE THE SKY RIVER CASINO IS. YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE DOT THERE, SIGNIFYING THE LOCATION OF WHERE THE BALLOON STARTED. NOW, AS IT WENT ALONG, IT MOVED TO THE EAST. SO THESE WINDS WERE COMING FROM THE WEST. IT MADE ITS WAY OVER HIGHWAY 99 OVER EAST STOCKTON BOULEVARD, EVENTUALLY OVER GRANT, AND THEN JUST OUTSIDE OF WHERE THAT KUBOTA TRACTOR WAREHOUSE THAT’S THERE. IT LANDED JUST BEFORE THAT. SO THE LANDING TOOK PLACE JUST TO THE WEST OF THAT WAREHOUSE. IF YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA. AND SO THAT’S BASICALLY THE PATH THAT IT TOOK. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE WIND IS GOING TO PUSH THE BALLOON, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE WINDS ARE COMING FROM AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING BECAUSE THE BALLOON HAS TO TRAVEL WHERE THE WINDS ARE PUSHING IT. LITERALLY. IT LITERALLY HAS TO. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THOSE WINDS COMING FROM THE WEST MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST, AND THERE WERE SOME GUSTS. YOU CAN SEE IT JUST WITH THE VIDEO. THOSE THE BALLOON WAS GETTING PUSHED. EVEN WHEN IT LANDED, IT DIDN’T JUST COME DOWN STRAIGHT IN THE BASKET, HIT THE GROUND, AND THEN THE BALLOON FELL ON TOP OF IT. IT WAS BEING PULLED ALONG THE GROUND. IT GOT KNOCKED OVER AS THE ENVELOPE OF THE BALLOON CAME DOWN. OF COURSE HE’S GOING TO RIP THE CORDS TO ALLOW THE HOT AIR TO ESCAPE AND TO COLLAPSE THE BALLOON. AND THAT’S WHAT THEY’VE BEEN DOING. IT’S BEEN WRAPPING UP THE BALLOON, SO I’M SURE THAT WAS A BIT SCARY, BUT LUCKILY EVERYTHING TURNED OUT OKAY. OTHER THAN A LITTLE DAMAGE MAYBE TO THE CASINO AND MAYBE TO THE BALLOON. YEAH, AND I’VE CHECKED IN WITH SKY RIVER TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE CASINO. AND THERE IT IS, HITTING IT. THE SIDE OF THE WALL. I MEAN, HE ALMOST CLEARED IT. HE ALMOST CLEARED IT. IT’S NOT A VERY TALL BUILDING. IT’S ONLY ABOUT TWO STORIES TALL. BUT AND WE HAD TAKEN THE PICTURES LIVE OF THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY JUST MOMENTS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. AND HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR EMPTY PARKING LOT JUST MOMENTS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. AND AGAIN, THIS SURPRISE GUST OF WIND THAT WAS NOT FORECASTED AND NOT REALLY TRACKED, JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. AND THE PILOT HAD TO MAKE SOME REALLY QUICK DECISIONS AND SOME QUICK THINKING WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THOSE POWER LINES NEAR HIGHWAY 99 THERE. AND OF COURSE YOU’RE THINKING, OKAY, NOW WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT THIS THING DOWN? I’VE NEVER BEEN IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. BUT DIRK SAID, WHEN YOU’RE IN A HOT AIR BALLOON, YOU’RE JUST THINKING, WHERE WOULD WE LAND AS A PASSENGER? THAT’S WHAT I WAS THINKING. I’M LIKE, OKAY, WE’RE UP IN THE AIR. WHERE ARE WE GOING? BUT I’M SURE THAT WHAT YOU DO IS AS A AS AN AERONAUT, THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE CALLED. THE AERONAUTS IS THE PILOT OF THE BALLOON. THEY HAVE TO KNOW THE TERRAIN. YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE DIRECTION THAT THE WINDS ARE COMING. WINDS ARE CRITICAL WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE FLYING A BALLOON LIKE THAT. AND YOU KNOW THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME FIELDS. AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A GREAT LOCATION TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH OPEN AREA TO THE EAST OF WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. SO OBVIOUSLY, I THINK HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE TRIED TO DO THE BEST HE COULD WITH A BAD SITUATION. IT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT A LOT WORSE. AND HE’S ABLE TO LAND IT AND PACK HIS BALLOON AWAY. AND I’M STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SKY RIVER. ON IF ANYONE WAS GOING TO BE IN THAT BALLOON. IF YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE LEADERS FROM THE TRIBE THAT WERE GOING TO BE IN THAT BALLOON AND MAYBE TAKE OFF AT THE END OF THE CEREMONY, WE DON’T KNOW YET, BUT THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE EARLIER, AS HE WAS JUST RIGHT AFTER HITTING THE SIDE OF THE BALLOON THERE. AND YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND KIND OF RUNNING, RUNNING AWAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO THIS PILOT WHO REALLY HAD TO MAKE SOME QUICK DECISIONS. AND, AND IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, DID PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE ANYONE WAS INJURED. WE WANT TO GO TO LIVECOPTER3 PILOT, DAN OPPENHEIM, WHO GOT ALL THESE LIVE PICTURES FOR US AND GOT ALL OF THE VIDEO. AND DAN, NOW WE’RE LOOKING AT THEM, YOU KNOW, TAKING ALL OF THE SIGNAGE AND THE MATERIAL OFF OF THE BASKET. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU AS YOU WATCHED THE ENTIRE THING UNFOLD? WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. AS WE SAID, WE ARE THE AIRCRAFT THAT ACTUALLY CAN CONTROL OUR LATERAL MOVEMENT. A BALLOON CAN CONTROL LIFT, THEY CAN CLIMB AND THEY CAN DESCEND BUT HAVE NO CONTROL OVER LATERAL MOVEMENT. THEY’RE PUSHED ALONG BY THE WIND. SO WE JUST GOT OUT OF THEIR WAY. WE MADE SURE THAT THEY HAD LOTS OF ROOM TO MANEUVER AND DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE THEM ENOUGH ROOM SO THAT WE WERE NOT A FACTOR AT ALL. AND SO, DAN, YOU SAW HIM TRY TO MAYBE LAND ONE TIME BEFORE THE ACTUAL LANDING, RIGHT. AND HE KIND OF CAME DOWN AND THEN ABORTED THAT. THAT’S CORRECT. I DID NOTICE THAT HE LOOKED LIKE HE DESCENDED PRETTY CLOSE AND THERE WERE SOME POWER LINES, AND IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY. I DIDN’T LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT THE LANDING SPOT THAT HE CHOSE, BUT WHEN HE WAS LOW, HE NOTICED SOMETHING HE DIDN’T LIKE. SO HE ABORTED AND FLEW ALONG A LITTLE FARTHER AND PASSED A SET OF HIGH TENSION WIRES AND THEN LANDED IN AN EMPTY FIELD, PROBABLY ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF FROM THE STARTING POINT. WELL, AND EVEN AS THEY WERE, HE WAS BRINGING IT DOWN FOR THIS LANDING. YOU CAN SEE EVEN IN OUR VANTAGE POINT RIGHT HERE, HOW CLOSE HE WAS GETTING TO THE ROAD. IT TOOK HIM A LONG TIME TO BRING THAT THING TO A FULL STOP, AND THEN FINALLY GET IT ON ITS SIDE AND GET THAT BALLOON ALL THE WAY DOWN BY HIMSELF. HE HAD NO HELP ON THE GROUND. IT WAS JUST HIM. I NOTICED THAT. YEAH, BUT HE WAS COMING TO THE END OF THAT LANDING STRIP. WELL, THIS IS WHAT HE TRAINS FOR. AND HE’S SAFELY ON THE GROUND. DAN, YOU JUST YOU YOU’RE COOL AS CUCUMBERS. YOU’RE LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE DO. LISA THIS IS NO BIG DEAL. NO BIG DEAL. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. THIS IS WHAT WE DO, ALL RIGHT? FROM ONE PILOT TO ANOTHER. I’M SURE YOU GUYS ARE HIGH FIVING. DAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO TAKE YOUR LIVE PICTURES AS THEY ARE WRAPPING THIS THING UP. AND YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT THE WHOLE BALLOON. IT’S CALLED THE ENVELOPE, YOU KNOW, WRAPPED UP KIND OF ROLL IT UP LIKE A LIKE A CARPET, IF YOU WILL. AND THEN THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE THAT BIG BASKET. I NOTICED THEY ALSO PULLED OUT. THEY DROVE UP A FLATBED. SO THERE’S A FLATBED THERE WAITING. AND YOU KNOW, THERE’S LOTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE GROUND. BUT AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY INJURIES, WHICH IS JUST THE GREAT NEWS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG. AND IT WAS CLOSE TO HIGHWAY 99, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT PARKING LOT, AND THAT PILOT WAS ABLE TO MISS ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AND ALMOST MISS THE ENTIRE BUILDING. BUT AGAIN, THOSE SUSPENSION WIRES THAT WERE HOLDING THE THE ENVELOPE AND THE BURNERS TO THE BASKET, ONE SIDE WERE THOSE, THOSE WIRES WERE BROKEN. SO THAT’S WHY IT WAS KIND OF LEANING TO ONE SIDE. SO LET’S GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE VIDEO AGAIN OF THE MOMENT OF IMPACT. WHEN THAT GUST HIT THE BALLOON, THAT PILOT DECIDED WE GOT TO LIFT OFF. WE GOT TO TAKE OFF. IT KIND OF DRAGGED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING THERE. AND THEN HE WAS ABLE TO GO UP, UP AND AWAY AND DO THE BEST HE COULD WITH JUST ONLY THREE SIDES OF THE SUSPENSION WIRES. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUSPENSION WIRE, THE ONE THAT BROKE JUST HANGING DOWN. IT’S HANGING DOWN THERE. SO THIS PILOT DOING MAKING A LOT OF DECISIONS REALLY, REALLY QUICK. AND AS DIRK MENTIONED, THAT SKIRT BENEATH THE ENVELOPE, BROKEN, BROKEN TO SHREDS. AND NOW HE’S GOING OVER THE TOP OF THE TOP OF THEIR PARKING LOT THERE. AND HE’S THINKING, I’VE GOT TO GET SOME ELEVATION TO GET OVER THIS HIGHWAY, THIS VERY BUSY HIGHWAY 99. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY AT THAT POINT, STARTING TO THINK, OKAY, NOW WE’RE THE WINDS, WHERE AM I GOING TO LAND? THAT SORT OF THING? AND DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. WE’LL CONTINUE TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS WHOLE SITUATION AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, NO REPORTS OF INJURIES, NO REPORTS OF ANY REAL DAMAGE, EVEN TO THE SKY RIVER BUILDING AT THIS POINT THAT WE KNOW. I’VE ASKED THE QUESTIONS TO SKY RIVER. I’M WAITING TO HEAR BACK. WE’RE ON EXTRA EARLY TODAY FOR YOU BECAUSE OF THE NBA PLAYOFFS. SO WE HAVE THE KCRA THREE NEWS AT THREE FOR YOU AN ENTIRE HOUR, AND KCRA THREE NEWS AT FOUR. ANOTHER ENTIRE HOUR. AND WE’LL STAY ON TOP OF ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS. MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE KCRA 3 APP AND GO TO KCRA.COM TO GET AN
VIDEO: Hot air balloon slams into Sky River Casino building in Elk Grove, makes emergency landing
Updated: 2:38 PM PDT Apr 27, 2026
A hot air balloon slammed into a Sacramento-area casino building Monday afternoon and was in the air for about 20 minutes after the chaotic tumble.LiveCopter 3 captured the moment the balloon slammed into a building as Sky River Casino was celebrating a groundbreaking for a new hotel. Video showed the basket of the balloon hit the side of the building, at one point reaching a 90-degree-angle, while there was someone still inside the basket.Watch the landing belowThe balloon kept going, attempting to descend for a landing, then aborting the effort and climbing back into the sky.LiveCopter 3 observed the crash at 12:10 p.m. At 12:29 p.m., the balloon landed at a field near Grant Line and Waterman roads.The basket is on its side, and the cloth is deflated.“Due to unexpectd heavy winds, the pilot chose to launch into free flight in accordance with safety protocols,” a statement from Sky River Casino read. “The balloon and pilot have landed safely.” The Elk Grove Police Department said the balloon made an unplanned launch due to unexpected strong winds and that it also hit a powerline before landing. The pilot was not injured, and there were no other passengers.The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified about the incident, police said.See more moments from the incident in the video below.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
ELK GROVE, Calif. —
A hot air balloon slammed into a Sacramento-area casino building Monday afternoon and was in the air for about 20 minutes after the chaotic tumble.
LiveCopter 3 captured the moment the balloon slammed into a building as Sky River Casino was celebrating a groundbreaking for a new hotel. Video showed the basket of the balloon hit the side of the building, at one point reaching a 90-degree-angle, while there was someone still inside the basket.
Watch the landing below
The balloon kept going, attempting to descend for a landing, then aborting the effort and climbing back into the sky.
LiveCopter 3 observed the crash at 12:10 p.m. At 12:29 p.m., the balloon landed at a field near Grant Line and Waterman roads.
The basket is on its side, and the cloth is deflated.
“Due to unexpectd [sic] heavy winds, the pilot chose to launch into free flight in accordance with safety protocols,” a statement from Sky River Casino read. “The balloon and pilot have landed safely.”
The Elk Grove Police Department said the balloon made an unplanned launch due to unexpected strong winds and that it also hit a powerline before landing. The pilot was not injured, and there were no other passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified about the incident, police said.
See more moments from the incident in the video below.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel