The two couples and pilot were all Albuquerque residents.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Authorities on Sunday released the names of the pilot and two couples who died after a hot air balloon they were riding in struck a power line and crashed onto a busy street in Albuquerque. New Mexico State Police on Sunday identified the pilot as 62-year-old Nicholas Meleski and the four passengers as Susan Montoya,65; John Montoya,61; Mary Martinez,59; and Martin Martinez,62. The ages of the Martinez couple were reversed when authorities released their identities Saturday. All were Albuquerque residents. State Police said John Montoya died at a hospital from his injuries while the other victims were declared dead at the crash scene Saturday. Witnesses told authorities that the balloon descended toward the ground around 7:30 a.m. Saturday and struck an overhead power line. The gondola detached from the envelope and fell about 100 feet and crashed in the median of a busy city street before catching on fire, authorities said. The envelope of the balloon floated away, eventually landing on a residential rooftop. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the cause of the crash.
