Car park Landing in Melbourne suburb

Ten people on board a hot air balloon have had a lucky escape after it was forced to land suddenly in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava.

Police say the balloon was set down “in a controlled landing” in a car park on Carlisle Street about 7:15am.

Several people called emergency authorities after seeing the balloon come down.

There were no injuries, and police say the only mishap was when the balloon caught on the aerial of a nearby property as it was being deflated.

The pilot, Chris Shorten, said he did not want to fly on in light winds and could not make it to a nearby park.

“Everything was quite normal,” he said.

“We landed in a very small space, but it was a controlled, safe landing, still plenty of reserve fuel onboard.

“[We] just decided to take a precaution and make a landing in a spot that just wasn’t a park … it was asphalt rather than parkland.”

Police praised the pilot, saying despite the unusual circumstances, it was a safe landing.

“It’s testament to the skill of the pilot – he’s pretty much put the basket down where he wanted to and chose a parking spot here in the carpark,” he said.

“[With] 21 years of experience, he briefed the passengers every step of the way.

“So they were quite calm and relaxed about what was going on. They knew exactly what was happening.”

Damian Crock from the Professional Ballooning Association of Australia says there was no need for alarm.

“It was not a safety incident of any description,” he said.

“I’ve spoken directly to the pilot. It was just a very safe controlled precautionary landing.”

He says he is confident safety was not compromised.

“Every so often a balloon will land where we prefer that it wouldn’t,” he said.

“But pilots are extremely well-trained over Melbourne, they’re among the world’s most talented pilots, and from time to time they’ll pop it down in a safe spot. It’s just an unusual spot.”