YUCAIPA: Deputies chase down two hot air balloons after pilots buzz neighborhood rooftops

Today’s lighter side of the news…

YUCAIPA — In what was possibly one of their more bizarre traffic stops, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies in Yucaipa found themselves in “hot” pursuit of two hot air balloons this morning after the balloon’s pilots decided to buzz homes in a Chapman Heights residential neighborhood in Yucaipa.

According to sheriff’s officials the two pilots, described as “hot air balloon enthusiasts,” flew their privately owned balloons mere feet above the tops of residences and were seen hitting treetops as they skimmed over the homes.

Although no homes were damaged and there were no reported injuries related to the dangerous stunt, sheriff’s officials will be forwarding their report and findings to the Federal Aviation Administration for “further review of any possible FAA violations.”

The incident began shortly before 8 a.m., when emergency dispatchers received numerous 911 calls from concerned citizens who believed the two balloons had crashed into residences on the 34700 block of Maplewood Lane in the Chapman Heights neighborhood.

Deputies rushed to the area and spotted the two hot air balloons “flying above the golf course and nearby residences, at times coming within five feet of rooftops and hitting trees,” officials described in a press release after the incident.

Deputies used their PA systems and hand signals to contact both pilots and ordered them to land immediately. One balloon subsequently landed in a high school baseball field and the second balloon was able to land safely in the oranges groves of a private residence in Mentone.

During their investigation deputies identified both pilots and determined they were flying their privately owned balloons for personal use. Officials did not specify the pilot’s reasoning for the dangerous stunt.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Donald Patton at the Yucaipa Police & Sheriff’s Station at ​(909) 918-2305​. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.