On 13 August 1989, two hot air balloons collided near Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, causing one to crash to the ground, killing thirteen people.

The flight took off at Santa Teresa Road, 29 kilometres south east of Alice Springs.

The lower balloon hovered briefly, before rapidly deflating and plunging to the ground at high speed, killing its pilot and all twelve passengers.

The pilot tried frantically to blast hot air into the stricken 'chute as the balloon lost height but there didn't appear to be any panic.

Both balloons were fitted with ultra high frequency radios operating on the same channel, but neither pilot contacted the other.

The report said safety measures flowing from its investigation were now being implemented and that the Civil Aviation Authority should improve surveillance.

[7] In 1992, the Northern Territory Supreme Court sentenced the pilot of the upper balloon, Michael Sanby, to two years' jail, with an eight-month non-parole period, after an eight-man, four-woman jury had found him guilty of committing a dangerous act.

The judge found that the pilot had "failed to keep a proper lookout for a period of 30 seconds (during which the other balloon was hidden from view) and that the failure seriously endangered the lives of those below".