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20 March 2026
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Two rescued after hot air balloon crash into Texas cell tower leaves them dangling 920 feet up, US
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On the morning of Saturday, 28 February 2026, a high-angle rescue was performed in north Gregg County, Texas in the US, after a hot air balloon struck a 1 100-foot communications tower near the intersection of State Highway 300 and FM 1844, north of Longview. The balloon's envelope became entangled in the tower's structure, leaving two occupants—a man and a woman—dangling approximately 900 to 920 feet above the ground in a dangling basket. The Longview Fire Department’s Special Operations Unit, based out of Stations 2 and 5, led a gruelling, multi-hour mission to bring both occupants safely to the ground. There were 14 firefighters operating on the tower and with at least 50 responders plus several tower engineers on scene.
Rescue operation
The Longview Fire Department was alerted to the incident around 08:15am. Due to the extreme height, this was considered a rare and highly complex rope rescue, often described by officials as the "Super Bowl of rope rescues".
Fourteen firefighters and specialised rescuers began scaling the tower by hand around 08:50am. Rescuers made contact with the occupants around 10:00am. The occupants remained calm and were uninjured. Rescuers transferred the individuals from the basket to the tower using harnesses, then lowered them in stages to the ground. Both passengers were safely on the ground by approximately 12:42pm and were taken to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation.
The aircraft was identified as a Cameron Z-77 hot air balloon, which struck a 1 092-foot broadcasting tower owned by Vertical Bridge, constructed in 1996. The balloon was believed to have been pushed off course by strong winds at high altitude. Tower technicians from Tower King arrived later to cut the balloon free and remove it from the tower.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the collision.
This event gained national attention due to the extreme height of the rescue. The Longview Fire Department was praised for its quick response and technical expertise, with officials noting they had trained for such scenarios but never at such high elevations.
Sources: Longview Fire Department, NBC News, New York Times
Rescue operation
The Longview Fire Department was alerted to the incident around 08:15am. Due to the extreme height, this was considered a rare and highly complex rope rescue, often described by officials as the "Super Bowl of rope rescues".
Fourteen firefighters and specialised rescuers began scaling the tower by hand around 08:50am. Rescuers made contact with the occupants around 10:00am. The occupants remained calm and were uninjured. Rescuers transferred the individuals from the basket to the tower using harnesses, then lowered them in stages to the ground. Both passengers were safely on the ground by approximately 12:42pm and were taken to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation.
The aircraft was identified as a Cameron Z-77 hot air balloon, which struck a 1 092-foot broadcasting tower owned by Vertical Bridge, constructed in 1996. The balloon was believed to have been pushed off course by strong winds at high altitude. Tower technicians from Tower King arrived later to cut the balloon free and remove it from the tower.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the collision.
This event gained national attention due to the extreme height of the rescue. The Longview Fire Department was praised for its quick response and technical expertise, with officials noting they had trained for such scenarios but never at such high elevations.
Sources: Longview Fire Department, NBC News, New York Times
