November 2, 2025 • 20 mins
The dawn over Luxor promises gold on stone and quiet air over the Nile—until one failed part turns awe into catastrophe. We unpack the 2013 hot air balloon crash from the ground up: how balloon flight really works, why landing is the most perilous phase, and how a single aging fuel line set off a chain reaction that no one could stop. With an eye for both human detail and hard mechanics, we follow the timeline from descent to basket fire, from runaway lift to midair explosion witnessed across the city.
We dig into the broader story behind the accident: Luxor’s reliance on tourism after political upheaval, the paper-thin enforcement that let operators self-police, and the subtle ways money can blunt caution. The investigation’s findings—maintenance gaps, inconsistent pilot standards, and a fuel system past its service life—became a case study in what happens when safety culture is more brochure than practice. Alongside the tragedy’s global ripple effects, we highlight the reforms Egypt pledged, the legal gray zones that lingered, and how regulators and insurers worldwide tightened expectations for balloon operators.
If you’ve ever thought about stepping into a wicker basket at sunrise, this conversation offers a clear, practical lens on risk: what questions to ask, what procedures to look for, and how to spot real safety from theater. Ballooning can be breathtaking and, under real oversight, remarkably safe. The difference lives in inspections, training, and a ground crew that drills for the worst day, not the best. If this story moved you or taught you something new, follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with a friend who loves travel and history. Your support helps us keep telling the stories that change how we see the sky.
Facebook: historyisadisaster
Instagram: historysadisaster
email: historysadisaster@gmail.com
Special thank you to Lunarfall Audio for producing and doing all the heavy lifting on audio editing since April 13, 2025, the Murder of Christopher Meyer episode https://lunarfallaudio.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
So the other week, I was at the Carolina Balloon
Festival here in North Carolina.
My wife and I wanted to do thewhole tethered balloon ride for
our anniversary.
And that's where they take youup in a hot air balloon by 80
feet, and the whole thing istied to the ground so you don't
float off anywhere.
We didn't want to do the wholeuntethered ride thing.
It's a bit pricey.
(00:21):
Plus, the thought of floatinghundreds of feet in the air in a
wicker basket suspended from abig balloon just doesn't sound
like a good idea to me.
Never mind my tiny slight fairfights.
Anyways, while waiting in lineat the festival, I just had to
look into hot air balloondisasters.
Because doing this podcast hasnot twisted my brain at all to
(00:43):
make me think, huh, what's theworst damn thing that can happen
for whatever it is I'm currentlydoing?
And that would be the hot airballoon crash that happened in
Luxer, Egypt on February 26,2013.
So, what happened?
I'm Andrew, and this isHistory's A Disaster.
(01:06):
Tonight we're going all the wayover to Egypt for a horrific
crash involving a hot airballoon.
And tonight's episode is broughtto you by the Leaky Pipe Bar and
Grill, now under new managementand with an expanded dessert bar
including Bananas Foster andCherries Jubilee.
(01:27):
Now, hot air balloons have beenaround for over 200 years, with
the first hot air balloon, theAerostat Ravillion, where the
hell that is in French, beinglaunched by a French scientist
named Pilotar de Rosiers.
It had three passengers (01:43):
a rooster, a duck, and a sheep.
And it managed to stay afloatfor 15 minutes before it came
crashing back down to theground.
Just two months later, onNovember 21st, two French
brothers, Joseph and EtienneMontgolfier, conducted the first
man flight.
(02:03):
They launched their balloon inParis, and the flight lasted 20
minutes, which would end upleading to the popularization of
hot air ballooning through the1800s, until the plane was
invented in the early 1900s whenit kinda fell to the wayside.
Until the 1960s, when Ed Yostcame up with what is considered
(02:24):
the modern hot air balloon,which used a propane burner
system, making them safer andeasier to fly.
They fly by heating the airinside the balloon, which is
called an envelope for somereason, to around 250 degrees
Fahrenheit.
And since hot air is lighterthan cold air, this causes the
envelope to float and carry thebasket into the air.
(02:47):
To go higher, you heat the airmore with the burner.
To go lower, you have to waitfor the air to cool off or vent
it out the top of the balloon.
And there is no way to steer thedamn thing.
You're at the mercy of whateverway the wind is blowing.
The only way to changedirections is to change
altitude, going higher or lowerin the air and hopefully catch a
(03:10):
current going somewhat in thedirection you want to go in,
which is fucking terrifying.
Wanna go south?
Better go up another quartermile in a rickety ass wicker
basket and hope it sends youthat way.
And all that brings us to theancient city of Luxor, Egypt, or
Thebes, as it was once called.
Luxor is one of Egypt's toptourist destinations.
(03:34):
Built along the banks of theNile River in Upper Egypt.
The city serves as an open-airmuseum of ancient Egyptian
civilization.
It's home to the Valley of theKings, the Valley of the Queens,
and some of the most spectaculartemples ever constructed.
The hot air balloon industry hadbeen thriving here for years,
(03:54):
offering tourists a uniqueaerial perspective of
archaeological sites thatstretched across the desert
landscape.
Which sounds awesome if youignore the terror of flying in a
wooden basket filled with abunch of flammable shit.
Especially since there wasbasically no safety regulations.
Yeah, they existed on paper, butwere never enforced.
(04:22):
Since the 2011 revolution thateffectively ended the presidency
of Hosni Mubarak, there was abig governmental push not to
fuck up the tourist industry.
They wanted to keep money fromtourism coming in, so they left
them alone to do as they pleasedas long as the money kept
flowing in.
(04:43):
And hot air balloon rides hadbecome a huge moneymaker for
luxury in Egypt.
With multiple companies runningdaily flights during the peak
tourist season, weatherconditions in the region were
generally favorable forballooning, with calm morning
winds and clear skiespredominating throughout much of
the year.
The flights typically launchedbefore dawn, allowing passengers
(05:06):
to witness sunrise from severalhundred feet above the ancient
monuments.
On the morning of February 26,tourists from around the world
gathered in the pre-dawndarkness for what promised to be
the experience of a lifetime.
A hot air balloon ride over theValley of the Kings, the Temple
of Karnak, and other ancientmonuments of Upper Egypt drew
(05:28):
visitors from across the globe.
The early morning launch wastimed perfectly to capture the
golden rays of sunrise shiningdown on 3,000 years of history.
20 tourists gathered in thedarkness for their scheduled
balloon flight.
And these people came from allover the world.
British, French, Japanese,Hungarian, and Hong Kong Chinese
(05:50):
visitors were all drawn to Egyptby its ancient wonders.
And most of them were couples onvacations, retirees hoping to
knock something off the bucketlist, and the odd traveler
seeking adventure in one of themost historically significant
locations.
The balloon they would board wasoperated by Sky Cruise, one of
(06:10):
several companies providingballoon tours in Luxor.
The pilot assigned to the flightwas Momin Murad, who was an
experienced Egyptian pilot whohad been flying for about eight
years.
The balloon itself was astandard commercial hot air
balloon, and 20 people in aballoon sounds like a lot.
I'm gonna assume it was fairlybig, or they were crammed into
(06:34):
this damn thing elbow to elbow.
The pre-flight proceduresappeared routine.
Passengers were given basicsafety briefings, instructed on
the landing position they shouldassume when the balloon touched
down, and helped aboard thelarge wicker basket that would
(06:56):
serve as their gondola for theflight.
The balloon's envelope wasinflated with cold air using
large fans, then heated air fromthe propane burners gradually
lifted the massive envelopeupright.
As the first hints of dawnappeared on the eastern horizon,
the balloon lifted off, joiningseveral other balloons already
(07:16):
heading into the still morningair.
The flight went smoothly forroughly 45 minutes.
The balloon climbed to analtitude of around a thousand
feet, providing passengers withspectacular views as the sun
rose over the Nile Valley.
Below them, the ancient templesand monuments emerged from the
darkness.
Passengers snapped pics andenjoyed the unique view of the
(07:40):
area, the silence broken only byperiodic blasts from the propane
burners heating the air, andanyone nearby inside the
balloon.
As the flight neared its ending,Murad began the descent
procedure, gradually reducingthe heat input to allow the
balloon to settle toward itsintended landing zone.
(08:00):
This part of the flight iscritical in hot air ballooning,
requiring careful judgment aboutwing conditions, descent rates,
and the selection of anappropriate landing area.
Make a mistake here, and well,imagine slamming an Easter
basket filled with eggs on theground.
Except you're one of the eggs.
Which doesn't sound like fun atall.
(08:21):
As the balloon descended toaround 10 feet, a rope was
dropped to the waiting groundcrew.
During the landing, one of thefuel lines was ruptured, which
was possibly caused by one ofthe landing ropes.
But the exact cause was neverdetermined.
The broken fuel line led to afire in the basket as it hovered
a few feet off the ground.
(08:42):
The fire spread quickly.
Propane gas, which had beensafely contained and controlled
throughout the flight, nowbecame a deadly accelerant.
The flames quickly engulfed thebasket and began spreading
toward the balloon's envelopeabove.
Panic erupted among thepassengers as Murad attempted to
grab a fire extinguisher andgain control before being struck
(09:04):
back by the flames.
Murad, covered in flames, alongwith one other passenger, jumped
or either fell from the basketas it was close to the ground.
Some of the ground crew releasedthe rope as they rushed to the
aid of the pilot, which fuckedover the remaining passengers in
the balloon.
The remaining members of the10-man landing crew could not
(09:25):
hold down the balloon.
With the growing fire pushingmore hot air into the balloon
and less weight with two peoplemissing, the hot air balloon
shot into the air.
Thick black smoke trailed theballoon into the sky.
In a desperate attempt to escapethe flames, several more
passengers jumped from thebasket, which made the balloon
(09:46):
continue higher.
The growing flames nowsurrounded the propane tanks
used to fuel the hot airballoon.
Fire and propane tanks do notexactly go well together.
They tend to turn into bombs andexplode when exposed to fire.
The balloon continued to rise,reaching an altitude of roughly
1,000 feet before the inevitableoccurred.
(10:07):
The propane tanks, subjected tointense heat and flame, exploded
inside the basket.
The explosion witnessed bypeople across the wide area of
Luxor was a massive detonationthat shattered the morning calm
and sent a fireball into thesky.
(10:28):
The explosion tore the balloonapart.
The envelope, already fucked upby the fire, disintegrated, and
the basket with its remainingpassengers plummeted toward the
earth.
The fall from a thousand feettook only seconds.
The basket crashed into asugarcane field near the village
of Al Dabaya, west of Luxor,striking the ground with
(10:50):
devastating force.
The crash site was a horrorscene.
The basket was destroyed, theballoon's remnants scattered
across the field, and thevictims of the crash lay amongst
the wreckage.
Emergency responders rushed tothe scene, but it was way too
late.
All they could do was beginsecuring the area and the grim
task of recovering victims andcollecting evidence.
(11:14):
The accident killed 18 of thepassengers on site.
The pilot Murad and two otherBritish passengers survived the
initial crash.
All three were rushed to thehospital in critical condition.
One of the men, Joe Bampton,died after five hours of
surgery.
Dr.
Mohammed Abdullah, the head ofthe emergency ward of the Luxor
(11:34):
Hospital, said that Joe, who haddied in the hospital, had
probably suffered a 160-footfall.
The other surviving Britain,Michael Rennie, was described as
being in critical but stablecondition, while Murad was said
to be conscious and talking, butwith burns covering 70% of his
body.
Doctors at the LuxorInternational Hospital said that
(11:55):
many of the dead also sufferedsevere internal injuries and
severe burns.
Among the dead were nine HongKong tourists from a group that
had traveled together to exploreEgypt.
Their deaths had sent shockwavesthrough Hong Kong, where the
crash dominated news coverageand prompted an outpouring of
grief.
The Hong Kong governmentimmediately dispatched officials
(12:18):
to Egypt to assist with theidentification of victims and
support for the bereavedfamilies.
Four Japanese tourists also diedin the crash, prompting similar
grief and official response inJapan.
The Japanese victims had beenpart of a tour group traveling
together to experience thecultural and historical
treasures of Egypt.
(12:39):
Their deaths added to growingconcerns in Japan about travel
safety in regions affected bypolitical instability.
The three Britons and theHungarian-born passenger, who
was a resident of the UK, wereon a tour organized by the
Thomas Cook Group.
The two French victims were a48-year-old woman and her
(12:59):
14-year-old daughter.
Egyptian authorities immediatelysuspended all hot air balloon
flights in Luxor pendinginvestigation, effectively
shutting down an industry thathad been a significant part of
the local economy.
The government formed aninvestigative committee to
examine the cause of theaccident and determine whether
negligence or regulatory failurehad contributed to the crash.
(13:23):
The international response wasswift and highly concerned.
Multiple governments whosecitizens had died sent officials
to Egypt to monitor theinvestigation and assist their
citizens.
The British Foreign Office, theHong Kong government, and
officials from Japan, France,and Hungary all became involved
in various capacities seekinganswers for the families at
(13:45):
home.
The crash reignitedlong-standing concerns about
safety standards in Egypt'stourism industry.
Critics pointed out thatballooning operations in Luxor
had been subjected to limitedoversight despite the inherent
risk involved.
Questions arose about pilottraining and certification,
maintenance standards forballoons and equipment, and the
(14:06):
adequacy of emergencyprocedures.
The investigation into the crashexamined the wreckage,
interviewed survivors andwitnesses, and reviewed records
related to the balloon'smaintenance and operations.
And the investigation hadchallenges from the very
beginning, since most of theevidence was destroyed in the
crash.
But the investigation did revealtroubling details about the
(14:30):
circumstances of the flight.
According to findings thatemerged in the weeks following
the crash, there were questionsabout whether proper pre-flight
checks had been conducted andwhether the balloon's equipment
was in full compliance withsafety standards.
(14:50):
The fuel system in particularcame under scrutiny, with
investigators examining whetherfuel lines or connections might
have been compromised orimproperly maintained.
The investigation also looked atthe hot air balloon industry as
a whole.
Records showed that the industryin Luxor had been operating with
limited regulatory oversight.
(15:10):
Pilot licensing requirements,maintenance standards, and
safety protocols varied and werenot consistently enforced.
The insurance and liabilityframeworks were unclear, leaving
questions about financialresponsibility for the crash.
The Egyptian Civil AviationAuthority released its final
report on the crash on January7, 2014.
(15:32):
The 219-page report blamed aleak in a fuel line connected to
the balloon's burner.
The aging fuel line had been inuse since 2005 and sprung a
leak, which ignited as theballoon came into land.
The fire severely injured thepilot who fell from the basket.
Some of the ground crew releasedthe ground line in order to
(15:54):
attend to the pilot so that theremaining crew could not keep
the balloon near the ground.
The flaming balloon rose rapidlyand uncontrolled, then exploded.
In the aftermath of the crash,Egyptian authorities announced
reforms intended to improvesafety in the ballooning
industry.
New regulations were promised,including more stringent pilot
(16:15):
licensing requirements,mandatory maintenance standards,
and improved oversight ofballoon operations.
The Civil Aviation Ministrypledged to implement
international safety standardsand conduct regular inspections
of equipment and operations.
Legal proceedings following thecrash moved slowly through
Egypt's court system.
(16:36):
Questions of criminalresponsibilities, civil
liability, and financialcompensation for victims'
families remained contentious.
The complexity of determiningfault in an accident involving
multiple potential contributingfactors, pilot error, mechanical
failure, inadequate maintenance,regulatory shortcomings, made
legal resolution difficult, andthey were keeping a tight lid on
(16:58):
the trials.
They had charged the pilot, oneof the chief maintenance
officers, with negligence andmanslaughter.
As I'm recording this, I couldnot find what happened with
those charges.
I don't know if it's still goingthrough court, although this was
like 12 years ago, or if thatinformation's never been
released.
I just I can't find an answer towhat happened.
(17:19):
Internationally, the crashprompted some countries to issue
travel advisories or warningsabout hot air balloon activities
in Egypt.
Tour operators in variouscountries reassessed their
relationships with Egyptianballoon companies, and a lot of
people who had booked balloonflights canceled their
reservations.
Egypt's tourism industryreputation took quite a bit of
(17:42):
damage from this.
The crash in Luxer would also goon to affect the international
hot air balloon industry.
While hot air ballooning isgenerally considered a safe
recreational activity whenconducted according to proper
standards, accidents, thoughrare, can be catastrophic.
I believe it's the FAA actuallylists hot air ballooning the
(18:03):
safest form of flight.
The industry worldwide tooknotice of the Luxor crash and
the factors that fell into it.
The international ballooningorganizations emphasized the
importance of rigorous safetystandards, proper pilot
training, regular equipmentmaintenance, and adherence to
established procedures.
This crash underscored the riskassociated with inadequate
(18:26):
oversight and the dangers ofallowing commercial pressures to
compromise safety protocols.
Which tends to always end upbeing the way of things.
Money is more important thansafety.
But, anyways, in countries withmore mature ballooning
industries, the Luxor crashprompted reviews of existing
safety frameworks and in somecases actually led to enhanced
(18:48):
regulations and enforcementefforts.
Luxor, which depends heavily ontourism, felt the economic
impact severely.
While the ancient monumentscontinued to attract visitors,
the balloon industry wasstruggling.
Even after flights eventuallyresumed under supposedly
improved safety regulations,many tourists remained wary.
(19:10):
This crash, along with severalothers that had happened in the
previous years, had demonstratedthe potentially deadly
consequences of safety failures,and gaining back tourist trust
was extremely difficult.
The overall Egyptian tourismindustry struggled to recover
from this, especially when youcombine the effects of political
(19:32):
instability and high-profiletragedies.
Subsequent events, includingterrorist attacks targeting
tourists and continued politicalturmoil, further damage Egypt's
reputation as a safedestination.
And that was the 2013 Luxor HotAir Balloon Crash.
(19:55):
Thanks for listening, and if youlike the show, please consider
leaving a rating or review onyour Apple Choice.
And reach out to the show athistory as a disaster at
gmail.com with questions,comments, or suggestions.
As well as following the show onsocial media like Facebook,
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube,whatever.
Enjoy the episode.
(20:16):
Your friends will love it.
Hopefully.
And take care of yourself outthere.
Chase that dream.
Live for today.
Because tomorrow is neverguaranteed.
Thanks and goodbye.
So the other week, I was at the Carolina Balloon
Festival here in North Carolina.
My wife and I wanted to do thewhole tethered balloon ride for
our anniversary.
And that's where they take youup in a hot air balloon by 80
feet, and the whole thing istied to the ground so you don't
float off anywhere.
We didn't want to do the wholeuntethered ride thing.
It's a bit pricey.
(00:21):
Plus, the thought of floatinghundreds of feet in the air in a
wicker basket suspended from abig balloon just doesn't sound
like a good idea to me.
Never mind my tiny slight fairfights.
Anyways, while waiting in lineat the festival, I just had to
look into hot air balloondisasters.
Because doing this podcast hasnot twisted my brain at all to
(00:43):
make me think, huh, what's theworst damn thing that can happen
for whatever it is I'm currentlydoing?
And that would be the hot airballoon crash that happened in
Luxer, Egypt on February 26,2013.
So, what happened?
I'm Andrew, and this isHistory's A Disaster.
(01:06):
Tonight we're going all the wayover to Egypt for a horrific
crash involving a hot airballoon.
And tonight's episode is broughtto you by the Leaky Pipe Bar and
Grill, now under new managementand with an expanded dessert bar
including Bananas Foster andCherries Jubilee.
(01:27):
Now, hot air balloons have beenaround for over 200 years, with
the first hot air balloon, theAerostat Ravillion, where the
hell that is in French, beinglaunched by a French scientist
named Pilotar de Rosiers.
It had three passengers (01:43):
a rooster, a duck, and a sheep.
And it managed to stay afloatfor 15 minutes before it came
crashing back down to theground.
Just two months later, onNovember 21st, two French
brothers, Joseph and EtienneMontgolfier, conducted the first
man flight.
(02:03):
They launched their balloon inParis, and the flight lasted 20
minutes, which would end upleading to the popularization of
hot air ballooning through the1800s, until the plane was
invented in the early 1900s whenit kinda fell to the wayside.
Until the 1960s, when Ed Yostcame up with what is considered
(02:24):
the modern hot air balloon,which used a propane burner
system, making them safer andeasier to fly.
They fly by heating the airinside the balloon, which is
called an envelope for somereason, to around 250 degrees
Fahrenheit.
And since hot air is lighterthan cold air, this causes the
envelope to float and carry thebasket into the air.
(02:47):
To go higher, you heat the airmore with the burner.
To go lower, you have to waitfor the air to cool off or vent
it out the top of the balloon.
And there is no way to steer thedamn thing.
You're at the mercy of whateverway the wind is blowing.
The only way to changedirections is to change
altitude, going higher or lowerin the air and hopefully catch a
(03:10):
current going somewhat in thedirection you want to go in,
which is fucking terrifying.
Wanna go south?
Better go up another quartermile in a rickety ass wicker
basket and hope it sends youthat way.
And all that brings us to theancient city of Luxor, Egypt, or
Thebes, as it was once called.
Luxor is one of Egypt's toptourist destinations.
(03:34):
Built along the banks of theNile River in Upper Egypt.
The city serves as an open-airmuseum of ancient Egyptian
civilization.
It's home to the Valley of theKings, the Valley of the Queens,
and some of the most spectaculartemples ever constructed.
The hot air balloon industry hadbeen thriving here for years,
(03:54):
offering tourists a uniqueaerial perspective of
archaeological sites thatstretched across the desert
landscape.
Which sounds awesome if youignore the terror of flying in a
wooden basket filled with abunch of flammable shit.
Especially since there wasbasically no safety regulations.
Yeah, they existed on paper, butwere never enforced.
(04:22):
Since the 2011 revolution thateffectively ended the presidency
of Hosni Mubarak, there was abig governmental push not to
fuck up the tourist industry.
They wanted to keep money fromtourism coming in, so they left
them alone to do as they pleasedas long as the money kept
flowing in.
(04:43):
And hot air balloon rides hadbecome a huge moneymaker for
luxury in Egypt.
With multiple companies runningdaily flights during the peak
tourist season, weatherconditions in the region were
generally favorable forballooning, with calm morning
winds and clear skiespredominating throughout much of
the year.
The flights typically launchedbefore dawn, allowing passengers
(05:06):
to witness sunrise from severalhundred feet above the ancient
monuments.
On the morning of February 26,tourists from around the world
gathered in the pre-dawndarkness for what promised to be
the experience of a lifetime.
A hot air balloon ride over theValley of the Kings, the Temple
of Karnak, and other ancientmonuments of Upper Egypt drew
(05:28):
visitors from across the globe.
The early morning launch wastimed perfectly to capture the
golden rays of sunrise shiningdown on 3,000 years of history.
20 tourists gathered in thedarkness for their scheduled
balloon flight.
And these people came from allover the world.
British, French, Japanese,Hungarian, and Hong Kong Chinese
(05:50):
visitors were all drawn to Egyptby its ancient wonders.
And most of them were couples onvacations, retirees hoping to
knock something off the bucketlist, and the odd traveler
seeking adventure in one of themost historically significant
locations.
The balloon they would board wasoperated by Sky Cruise, one of
(06:10):
several companies providingballoon tours in Luxor.
The pilot assigned to the flightwas Momin Murad, who was an
experienced Egyptian pilot whohad been flying for about eight
years.
The balloon itself was astandard commercial hot air
balloon, and 20 people in aballoon sounds like a lot.
I'm gonna assume it was fairlybig, or they were crammed into
(06:34):
this damn thing elbow to elbow.
The pre-flight proceduresappeared routine.
Passengers were given basicsafety briefings, instructed on
the landing position they shouldassume when the balloon touched
down, and helped aboard thelarge wicker basket that would
(06:56):
serve as their gondola for theflight.
The balloon's envelope wasinflated with cold air using
large fans, then heated air fromthe propane burners gradually
lifted the massive envelopeupright.
As the first hints of dawnappeared on the eastern horizon,
the balloon lifted off, joiningseveral other balloons already
(07:16):
heading into the still morningair.
The flight went smoothly forroughly 45 minutes.
The balloon climbed to analtitude of around a thousand
feet, providing passengers withspectacular views as the sun
rose over the Nile Valley.
Below them, the ancient templesand monuments emerged from the
darkness.
Passengers snapped pics andenjoyed the unique view of the
(07:40):
area, the silence broken only byperiodic blasts from the propane
burners heating the air, andanyone nearby inside the
balloon.
As the flight neared its ending,Murad began the descent
procedure, gradually reducingthe heat input to allow the
balloon to settle toward itsintended landing zone.
(08:00):
This part of the flight iscritical in hot air ballooning,
requiring careful judgment aboutwing conditions, descent rates,
and the selection of anappropriate landing area.
Make a mistake here, and well,imagine slamming an Easter
basket filled with eggs on theground.
Except you're one of the eggs.
Which doesn't sound like fun atall.
(08:21):
As the balloon descended toaround 10 feet, a rope was
dropped to the waiting groundcrew.
During the landing, one of thefuel lines was ruptured, which
was possibly caused by one ofthe landing ropes.
But the exact cause was neverdetermined.
The broken fuel line led to afire in the basket as it hovered
a few feet off the ground.
(08:42):
The fire spread quickly.
Propane gas, which had beensafely contained and controlled
throughout the flight, nowbecame a deadly accelerant.
The flames quickly engulfed thebasket and began spreading
toward the balloon's envelopeabove.
Panic erupted among thepassengers as Murad attempted to
grab a fire extinguisher andgain control before being struck
(09:04):
back by the flames.
Murad, covered in flames, alongwith one other passenger, jumped
or either fell from the basketas it was close to the ground.
Some of the ground crew releasedthe rope as they rushed to the
aid of the pilot, which fuckedover the remaining passengers in
the balloon.
The remaining members of the10-man landing crew could not
(09:25):
hold down the balloon.
With the growing fire pushingmore hot air into the balloon
and less weight with two peoplemissing, the hot air balloon
shot into the air.
Thick black smoke trailed theballoon into the sky.
In a desperate attempt to escapethe flames, several more
passengers jumped from thebasket, which made the balloon
(09:46):
continue higher.
The growing flames nowsurrounded the propane tanks
used to fuel the hot airballoon.
Fire and propane tanks do notexactly go well together.
They tend to turn into bombs andexplode when exposed to fire.
The balloon continued to rise,reaching an altitude of roughly
1,000 feet before the inevitableoccurred.
(10:07):
The propane tanks, subjected tointense heat and flame, exploded
inside the basket.
The explosion witnessed bypeople across the wide area of
Luxor was a massive detonationthat shattered the morning calm
and sent a fireball into thesky.
(10:28):
The explosion tore the balloonapart.
The envelope, already fucked upby the fire, disintegrated, and
the basket with its remainingpassengers plummeted toward the
earth.
The fall from a thousand feettook only seconds.
The basket crashed into asugarcane field near the village
of Al Dabaya, west of Luxor,striking the ground with
(10:50):
devastating force.
The crash site was a horrorscene.
The basket was destroyed, theballoon's remnants scattered
across the field, and thevictims of the crash lay amongst
the wreckage.
Emergency responders rushed tothe scene, but it was way too
late.
All they could do was beginsecuring the area and the grim
task of recovering victims andcollecting evidence.
(11:14):
The accident killed 18 of thepassengers on site.
The pilot Murad and two otherBritish passengers survived the
initial crash.
All three were rushed to thehospital in critical condition.
One of the men, Joe Bampton,died after five hours of
surgery.
Dr.
Mohammed Abdullah, the head ofthe emergency ward of the Luxor
(11:34):
Hospital, said that Joe, who haddied in the hospital, had
probably suffered a 160-footfall.
The other surviving Britain,Michael Rennie, was described as
being in critical but stablecondition, while Murad was said
to be conscious and talking, butwith burns covering 70% of his
body.
Doctors at the LuxorInternational Hospital said that
(11:55):
many of the dead also sufferedsevere internal injuries and
severe burns.
Among the dead were nine HongKong tourists from a group that
had traveled together to exploreEgypt.
Their deaths had sent shockwavesthrough Hong Kong, where the
crash dominated news coverageand prompted an outpouring of
grief.
The Hong Kong governmentimmediately dispatched officials
(12:18):
to Egypt to assist with theidentification of victims and
support for the bereavedfamilies.
Four Japanese tourists also diedin the crash, prompting similar
grief and official response inJapan.
The Japanese victims had beenpart of a tour group traveling
together to experience thecultural and historical
treasures of Egypt.
(12:39):
Their deaths added to growingconcerns in Japan about travel
safety in regions affected bypolitical instability.
The three Britons and theHungarian-born passenger, who
was a resident of the UK, wereon a tour organized by the
Thomas Cook Group.
The two French victims were a48-year-old woman and her
(12:59):
14-year-old daughter.
Egyptian authorities immediatelysuspended all hot air balloon
flights in Luxor pendinginvestigation, effectively
shutting down an industry thathad been a significant part of
the local economy.
The government formed aninvestigative committee to
examine the cause of theaccident and determine whether
negligence or regulatory failurehad contributed to the crash.
(13:23):
The international response wasswift and highly concerned.
Multiple governments whosecitizens had died sent officials
to Egypt to monitor theinvestigation and assist their
citizens.
The British Foreign Office, theHong Kong government, and
officials from Japan, France,and Hungary all became involved
in various capacities seekinganswers for the families at
(13:45):
home.
The crash reignitedlong-standing concerns about
safety standards in Egypt'stourism industry.
Critics pointed out thatballooning operations in Luxor
had been subjected to limitedoversight despite the inherent
risk involved.
Questions arose about pilottraining and certification,
maintenance standards forballoons and equipment, and the
(14:06):
adequacy of emergencyprocedures.
The investigation into the crashexamined the wreckage,
interviewed survivors andwitnesses, and reviewed records
related to the balloon'smaintenance and operations.
And the investigation hadchallenges from the very
beginning, since most of theevidence was destroyed in the
crash.
But the investigation did revealtroubling details about the
(14:30):
circumstances of the flight.
According to findings thatemerged in the weeks following
the crash, there were questionsabout whether proper pre-flight
checks had been conducted andwhether the balloon's equipment
was in full compliance withsafety standards.
(14:50):
The fuel system in particularcame under scrutiny, with
investigators examining whetherfuel lines or connections might
have been compromised orimproperly maintained.
The investigation also looked atthe hot air balloon industry as
a whole.
Records showed that the industryin Luxor had been operating with
limited regulatory oversight.
(15:10):
Pilot licensing requirements,maintenance standards, and
safety protocols varied and werenot consistently enforced.
The insurance and liabilityframeworks were unclear, leaving
questions about financialresponsibility for the crash.
The Egyptian Civil AviationAuthority released its final
report on the crash on January7, 2014.
(15:32):
The 219-page report blamed aleak in a fuel line connected to
the balloon's burner.
The aging fuel line had been inuse since 2005 and sprung a
leak, which ignited as theballoon came into land.
The fire severely injured thepilot who fell from the basket.
Some of the ground crew releasedthe ground line in order to
(15:54):
attend to the pilot so that theremaining crew could not keep
the balloon near the ground.
The flaming balloon rose rapidlyand uncontrolled, then exploded.
In the aftermath of the crash,Egyptian authorities announced
reforms intended to improvesafety in the ballooning
industry.
New regulations were promised,including more stringent pilot
(16:15):
licensing requirements,mandatory maintenance standards,
and improved oversight ofballoon operations.
The Civil Aviation Ministrypledged to implement
international safety standardsand conduct regular inspections
of equipment and operations.
Legal proceedings following thecrash moved slowly through
Egypt's court system.
(16:36):
Questions of criminalresponsibilities, civil
liability, and financialcompensation for victims'
families remained contentious.
The complexity of determiningfault in an accident involving
multiple potential contributingfactors, pilot error, mechanical
failure, inadequate maintenance,regulatory shortcomings, made
legal resolution difficult, andthey were keeping a tight lid on
(16:58):
the trials.
They had charged the pilot, oneof the chief maintenance
officers, with negligence andmanslaughter.
As I'm recording this, I couldnot find what happened with
those charges.
I don't know if it's still goingthrough court, although this was
like 12 years ago, or if thatinformation's never been
released.
I just I can't find an answer towhat happened.
(17:19):
Internationally, the crashprompted some countries to issue
travel advisories or warningsabout hot air balloon activities
in Egypt.
Tour operators in variouscountries reassessed their
relationships with Egyptianballoon companies, and a lot of
people who had booked balloonflights canceled their
reservations.
Egypt's tourism industryreputation took quite a bit of
(17:42):
damage from this.
The crash in Luxer would also goon to affect the international
hot air balloon industry.
While hot air ballooning isgenerally considered a safe
recreational activity whenconducted according to proper
standards, accidents, thoughrare, can be catastrophic.
I believe it's the FAA actuallylists hot air ballooning the
(18:03):
safest form of flight.
The industry worldwide tooknotice of the Luxor crash and
the factors that fell into it.
The international ballooningorganizations emphasized the
importance of rigorous safetystandards, proper pilot
training, regular equipmentmaintenance, and adherence to
established procedures.
This crash underscored the riskassociated with inadequate
(18:26):
oversight and the dangers ofallowing commercial pressures to
compromise safety protocols.
Which tends to always end upbeing the way of things.
Money is more important thansafety.
But, anyways, in countries withmore mature ballooning
industries, the Luxor crashprompted reviews of existing
safety frameworks and in somecases actually led to enhanced
(18:48):
regulations and enforcementefforts.
Luxor, which depends heavily ontourism, felt the economic
impact severely.
While the ancient monumentscontinued to attract visitors,
the balloon industry wasstruggling.
Even after flights eventuallyresumed under supposedly
improved safety regulations,many tourists remained wary.
(19:10):
This crash, along with severalothers that had happened in the
previous years, had demonstratedthe potentially deadly
consequences of safety failures,and gaining back tourist trust
was extremely difficult.
The overall Egyptian tourismindustry struggled to recover
from this, especially when youcombine the effects of political
(19:32):
instability and high-profiletragedies.
Subsequent events, includingterrorist attacks targeting
tourists and continued politicalturmoil, further damage Egypt's
reputation as a safedestination.
And that was the 2013 Luxor HotAir Balloon Crash.
(19:55):
Thanks for listening, and if youlike the show, please consider
leaving a rating or review onyour Apple Choice.
And reach out to the show athistory as a disaster at
gmail.com with questions,comments, or suggestions.
As well as following the show onsocial media like Facebook,
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube,whatever.
Enjoy the episode.
(20:16):
Your friends will love it.
Hopefully.
And take care of yourself outthere.
Chase that dream.
Live for today.
Because tomorrow is neverguaranteed.
Thanks and goodbye.
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