This is a list of ballooning accidents by date. It shows the number of fatalities associated with various accidents that involved crewed balloons, such as Montgolfiere hot-air balloons, Charlière gas balloons, or Rozière gas and hot-air hybrid balloons. This list does not include accidents involving other types of aerostat/lighter-than-air aircraft (i.e. dirigibles, blimps, zeppelins, airships, etc.).
List
Date Incident Location Notes Deaths InjuredDeath of Jean-François Pilâtre de RozierWimereux, FranceCrashed during attempt to cross the English Channel. Balloon involved was a Rozière hybrid hydrogen-hot-air balloon and not a Montgolfiere hot-air balloon. No survivors. Considered one of the first fatal aviation accidents, possibly the first in recorded history.20 Death of Sophie Blanchard Paris, France Sophie Blanchard launched fireworks 300 m above Paris. Her balloon started burning and crashed. She fell to her death, becoming the first woman to die in an aviation accident. 1 08 September 1850Death of George Burcher GaleBordeaux, FranceGeorge Burcher Gale died, after a ballooning demonstration in which he rode a pony suspended under a hot air balloon. After descending and detaching the pony, the balloon was released prematurely before being deflated. Gale held on to ropes attached to the basket and ascended with the deflating balloon, possibly hoping to land it safely. Gale's body was found the next day, having fallen from the balloon.10Death of Joseph TardiniCopenhagen, DenmarkAfter taking off from Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the balloon went down in the water near Kalvebod Brygge, killing Italian balloonist Joseph Tardini who had performed dozens of flights in the past. His 11-year-old son and a woman survived. Believed to be the first ballooning death in Scandinavia. The same balloon was again used in July 1852 when Swedish balloonist M. Sivertsen made a successful flight from the town of Christiana in Norway in front of an audience of 40,000 people.10Nimes balloon crashNimes, FranceBalloonist M. Louis Deschamps was killed during his 120th flight from the Arena of Nîmes. Bad weather had already forced the mayor to call off a parachute performance. Deschamps was thrown from the basket, and the balloon went down about half a mile further.10S. A. Andrée's Arctic Balloon Expedition of 1897Kvitøya, Norway Indirect deaths: All three balloon expedition members died of exposure months after their Charliere hydrogen balloon crashed.302 November 1899Captain Charles LorraineChristchurch, New ZealandAn aerial performer, he intended to make a balloon flight and then descend by parachute, but he had to let go of his parachute at the launch. Balloon drifted over the Port Hills and came down in Lyttelton Harbour. Lorraine reportedly attempted to swim to shore, but failed to make it.10 Death of John Baldwin Greenville, Ohio Accidentally killed in a premature dynamite/balloon stunt explosion at County Fair.See The Stark County Democrat., September 05, 1905, WEEKLY EDITION, Page 6, Image 6 for a contemporary account. For an extended account, see Gretchen L. Rice "And Blood Rained Down A Drake County Balloon Tragedy" Timeline Magazine Ohio Historical Society July/Sept 2006 Vol 23 # 3 1 0Franco-British Exhibition balloon crashLondon, EnglandA balloon owned by American balloonist Captain Lovelace exploded at the Franco-British Exhibition in London, killing his 18-year-old secretary and a male employee. Six others were injured, including a 47-year-old employee who died days later.354 December 1910Orkney balloon crashKirkwall, Orkney,