Cocaine-affected hot air balloon pilot's fatal mistake revealed by NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that a fatal hot air balloon crash in New Mexico in 2021, which killed all five people on board, was caused by pilot Nicholas Meleski's mistake of not maintaining enough clearance from power lines while attempting to land. The NTSB's final report revealed that Meleski had drugs, including cocaine, in his system at the time of the crash, suggesting impairing effects. No evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures was found. The crash, which resulted in the deadliest hot air balloon accident in New Mexico's history, claimed the lives of Martin and Mary Martinez, Susan and John Montoya, and pilot Nicholas Meleski.