Hot Air Balloon Crash: Multiple Injured After Balloons Carrying 36 People Hit Ground In Wyoming

Multiple people were injured in Wyoming after three hot air balloons crashed Monday, Aug. 3.

Three sightseeing balloons carrying about 36 people hit the ground Monday morning in Jackson Hole, a popular tourist area near Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.

A spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that each balloon "landed hard under unknown circumstances."

The balloons, however, went down separately and did not crash into each other.

At least 11 people were transported to local hospitals with various injuries and one was airlifted to a level 1 trauma center in Idaho Falls, Jackson Hole Fire Chief Brady Hansen told CNN.

Five people were treated and released as of mid-afternoon Monday, the local hospital confirmed to ABC News. No one was reported dead.

Passenger Clinton Phillips along with his wife and three children were in the largest balloon that crashed. He told ABC News that a hot air balloon ride was on their "bucket list." The family witnessed the other two balloons hitting the ground before theirs did.

The winds were "pushing up hard sideways," and the second balloon was "getting tossed around" before it went down and tipped over, Philips told the news outlet.

"While we were so busy looking at that, we didn't realize that we were coming down," Phillips said. "Our pilot hadn't said anything, and I turned around and looked and I shouted, 'Brace for impact!'"

The balloon carrying 20 people, slammed into the ground and tipped over before being dragged for about 200 yards and finally halting in a ravine, Philips said.

"People were screaming for their lives and sobbing," he said. "It was horrific."

Phillips told the outlet that one of his daughters fainted and that his son had a concussion. His wife was one of those who were rushed to the hospital. He believes that his wife's ribs are "very likely" broken.

"I was in tears, just so relieved that everybody was OK and not dead," he said.

Describing the crash scene as about half a mile long, Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told KIFI that the cause of the accident may have been weather-related.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crashes.

The balloons belong to Wyoming Balloon Company sightseeing balloon operator.