A Turkish pilot steered a descending hot air balloon away from power lines and landed safely in a Nepal rice field. The footage drew praise for his composure as every tourist remained unharmed.Turkish pilot safely lands hot air balloon with tourists after scary mid-air mishap (Photos: @pilottmehmet/Instagram)A Turkish pilot shared a video of a hot air balloon mishap in Nepal, where a sudden downdraft sent the balloon carrying tourists drifting towards power lines before he managed to land it safely in a rice field.Mehmet Nuri, who is currently stationed in Nepal, shared the video on Instagram, offering a glimpse of the tense moments in the air and the landing that followed.In the clip, filmed from inside the hot air balloon, Nuri stands in the gondola alongside several tourists who are busy taking pictures of the surrounding landscape.
Suddenly, turbulence causes the balloon to descend, even as its burner operates at maximum capacity.With the balloon drifting towards power lines, Nuri lowers a rope for the ground crew to grab and hopefully anchor it. However, the rope snaps, leaving the balloon to drift further.
Nuri then asks everyone to remain calm and assume the landing position as a precaution. He manoeuvres the balloon towards a nearby rice field, where it travels several metres before finally coming to a safe stop with everyone still on board.In his caption, Nuri explained that the flight had encountered 11-knot surface winds, a strong downdraft and a challenging landing.
Despite the burner running at maximum power, the balloon continued to struggle. “Thanks to the ground crew, good timing, and above all, staying calm, everything ended safely,” he wrote, adding that staying calm in the sky was just as important as having courage.He also confirmed that everyone was safe and happy after the incident.Watch the video here:The video received praise for the pilot's handling of the situation, with several people appreciating how he kept his composure during the difficult landing.One commenter, who identified themselves as the owner of a hot air balloon company, praised Nuri's skills and said they had seen many pilots but considered him one of the best. They also recalled watching him land smoothly despite the challenges.Another person was relieved that everyone had made it out safely and called the pilot amazing, adding that they could only imagine what he must have been feeling during those moments.A third commenter, who had been on two hot air balloon rides, said both their landings had been smooth.
While the footage was frightening to watch, they praised Nuri for handling the situation like a professional.- Ends