PNM: Hot air balloon hits power line, causing outages for 12,000 customers

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A hot air balloon crashed into a power line, causing outages that affected approximately 13,000 PNM customers in Albuquerque Monday morning.

First, the balloon struck one of PNM's larger power lines. Then a cell phone video shows a not entirely smooth landing.

“I'm trying to find tasks for my employees, you know? So we had a little light here. So we mopped and cleaned and then went outside for a little bit to watch the balloons,” said Anthony Aguilar, store manager for Standard Restaurant Supply.

Aguilar talks about the widespread power outage that hit the subway Monday morning.

“The employees came around 8 a.m. and around 8:15 a.m. I think there was a power outage. And yes, the computers are down. A customer came in. We wrote down his information and gave him his equipment because it’s Balloon Fiesta,” Aguilar said.

Standard Restaurant Supply on Menaul was one of dozens of businesses affected.

At one point, the PNM outage map showed over 12,000 customers without power.

“The balloon came into contact with the transmission line. And so the transmission line essentially transports the electricity from where it is manufactured and generated to our substations, which transport it to our distribution lines,” said PNM spokesman Eric Chavez.

Chavez says it all happened at 8 a.m. Monday morning near Stanford and Claremont. Power was restored around 9:30 a.m

“We really hope for an accident-free balloon fiesta. We hope nothing else happens in the coming days, but we are prepared if something happens,” Chavez said.

Balloon Fiesta officials confirmed the balloon was the Master Blaster flown by Gary Odom.

The impact on the power line was just the beginning; Odom was able to send the balloon flying about half a mile.

Viewer video shows the balloon hitting a streetlight and then tearing apart. Onlookers rushed to check on the pilot and help him secure the balloon.

As for Aguilar, he says he and his staff just go with the balloon flow this time of year.

“We made a little bet and asked, 'Was it a balloon or was someone watching the balloons and came across something?' But we found out it was a balloon. I just want to make sure they’re OK,” Aguilar said.

A Balloon Fiesta spokesman said Odom was flying alone and no one was injured.

An important reminder as the balloon fiesta continues. If you see a balloon tangled in power lines, PNM says you should not touch the line or balloon because it could still be a live wire. The best and safest option is to call 911 and PNM.

This isn't the first time we've seen this during the Balloon Fiesta. In 2021, the Devil Balloon struck power lines with three people on board. Neighbors, including someone who worked for PNM, jumped in to help those on board during this incident.

During the 2004 Balloon Fiesta, Smokey Bear made national headlines after crashing into a radio tower on the final day of the fiesta. Three passengers – two boys and the pilot – dangled nearly 700 feet above the ground before climbing down the tower.