A hot air balloon crashed near the Teotihuacán pyramids in México state on Friday, leaving at least 12 people with non-life-threatening injuries.
The accident occurred on Friday morning in the municipality of San Martín de las Pirámides, where a hot air balloon operated by the company Sky Balloons México came down in a vacant lot next to a road several hundred meters from the popular archaeological site.
According to the México state Civil Protection agency, the balloon made a “forced landing” after hitting an air pocket.
Two Colombians were reportedly among those injured in the crash. Some of the passengers were taken to a local clinic for treatment. Emergency services, the National Guard and local residents responded to the crash and assisted injured passengers.
Some media reports said that 13 or 14 people, including the pilot, were injured in the accident. The injuries reportedly included bone fractures as well as bumps, grazes and mental distress.
The México state Attorney General’s Office said that a 29-year-old man identified as Brandon Jesús “N,” the pilot of the hot air balloon, was arrested in connection with the crash. Some reports said that he may have lacked the necessary expertise and experience to fly the balloon.
Sky Balloons México said in a statement that the “incident” was “caused by an unexpected mass of air that altered the trajectory of the balloon.”
“Thanks to the expertise of the pilot, who prioritized the safety of the passengers the entire time, the material of the balloon ended up over electrical wires, creating a dramatic image,” the company said, adding that the situation didn’t pose a “major risk” for the occupants of the balloon’s basket.
“We regret the impact on third parties, and reiterate that the safety of our passengers and personnel has always been our highest priority,” Sky Balloons said.
Balloon flights over Teotihuacán are popular — but risky
Taking an early morning hot air balloon flight over the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon is a popular way to take in the visual spectacle on offer at the Teotihuacán archaeological site, located about 50 kilometers northeast of the historic center of Mexico City.
A small but growing number of such flights have ended in accidents in recent years, including at least one fatal one.
In April 2023, the basket of a hot air balloon caught fire as it flew near the Teotihuacán pyramids. A married couple was killed in the incident and their teenage daughter was injured.
Cae globo aerostático en Teotihuacán
-12 heridos
-Cortaron energía eléctrica para evitar que se electrocutarán
-Cayó en zona urbana de San Martín de las Pirámides
-Raspones y heridas leves
-Siguen sin regular su operación
-Pedían ayuda desesperados#teotihuacan pic.twitter.com/M4vCWGmKGh— raytep (@raytep) May 23, 2025
In late 2021, nine people were injured in another hot air balloon crash near Teotihuacán.
Other hot air balloon accidents occurred in the same area this year prior to Friday’s crash.
The news website Expansión reported that no “formal review” of the operation of hot air balloon flights in the Teotihucán area has been carried out.
The La Jornada newspaper reported that “dozens” of hot air balloons operated by “different companies — many of them irregular — fly over the region every day.”
With reports from La Silla Rota, N+, UnoTV, Expansión Política, CNN, La Jornada and El Financiero
