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Elderly woman had broken ankle after hot-air balloon crash

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Organizers of a Nebraska airshow say a passenger injured during a hot air balloon ride is an elderly woman whose ankle was broken.

Air show spokesman Christopher Amundson said Tuesday the woman was in good condition. She was riding with another passenger and a pilot Sunday during the Nebraska Airfest and 2012 State Fly-in in Norfolk.

Amundson says the balloon was one of seven that lifted off at 6:30 a.m. Pilots and passengers reported light winds, and the balloons flew north into Pierce County.

Amundson says surface winds then increased to 14 mph, and the pilot began a controlled descent into a field. The balloon’s gondola tipped over when it touched the ground.

The pilot was uninjured, and the balloon was not damaged. The other passenger suffered abrasions.

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