Pilot in Deadly Albuquerque Balloon Crash had Drugs in System, F.A.A. Says

U.S.|Pilot successful Balloon Crash That Killed 5 Had Used Cocaine and Marijuana, F.A.A. Says

The aviator of a hot-air balloon that crashed into powerfulness lines successful Albuquerque successful June, sidesplitting him and each 4 passengers, had cocaine and marijuana successful his system, according to a toxicology study made nationalist connected Wednesday.

Blood and urine samples taken from the pilot, Nicholas Meleski, 62, showed the beingness of the drugs, the Federal Aviation Administration said successful the report, which the bureau released arsenic portion of a nationalist records request.

Although intoxicant was not detected successful the samples, cocaethylene, a compound created erstwhile the liver metabolizes cocaine successful the beingness of ethanol, was besides detected successful his urine but not his blood. The F.A.A. did not remark beyond the report.

The balloon piloted by Mr. Meleski struck powerfulness lines astatine 7:07 a.m. section clip connected June 26 astir six miles westbound of the Albuquerque International Sunport airport, causing the gondola to abstracted from the balloon’s envelope and autumn astir 100 feet, investigators said.

A origin of the mishap has not yet been determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, which released a preliminary study connected the crash successful July.

In a connection issued to the television presumption KOB4, Meleski household members said that they were evaluating the results of the toxicology study and asked for privacy.

The passengers who were killed successful the clang were identified by the authorities arsenic Susan Montoya, 65; Mary Sisneros-Martinez, 59; Martin Martinez, 62; and John Montoya, 61.

A hot-air balloon thrust was connected Ms. Montoya’s “bucket list,” and the unit astatine Georgia O’Keeffe Elementary School, wherever she worked arsenic an adjunct principal, bought the thrust for her and 3 guests, Scott Elder, the superintendent for the Albuquerque Public Schools, said astatine a quality league astatine the time.

Ms. Montoya was transferring to different schoolhouse adjacent year, and this was a farewell acquisition to her, helium said.

“Never earlier person we experienced the nonaccomplishment of truthful galore successful 1 incident,” Mr. Elder said.

Mr. Meleski was the begetter of a counsellor successful the schoolhouse district, according to the superintendent.

In a connection to KOB4, Manny Sisneros, a member of Ms. Sisneros-Martinez, called for much stringent oversight of hot-air balloon pilots.

“Nicholas Meleski evidently didn’t instrumentality into information each of the radical whose lives helium destroyed owed to his cause use,” Mr. Sisneros said. “We are alert that the drugs successful his strategy whitethorn not beryllium the origin of the crash, but having cocaine and marijuana successful his strategy whitethorn person been 1 of the contributing factors.”