A homeowner in California was utterly surprised when a hot air balloon carrying over a dozen people landed right in his backyard.

California man opens backyard door to find hot air balloon with 13 passengers

A homeowner in California was utterly surprised when a hot air balloon carrying over a dozen people landed right in his backyard.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Hunter Perrin's Saturday morning started unexpectedly in Temecula
  • A hot air balloon landed in his backyard with 13 passengers
  • The pilot made an emergency landing due to low fuel and wind

A quiet weekend morning in California turned into a surreal moment for a homeowner when a hot air balloon carrying over a dozen people landed right in his backyard.

The incident took place in Temecula, where resident Hunter Perrin was at home on a Saturday morning when his routine was suddenly interrupted. Speaking to ABC7, Perrin said a neighbour knocked on his door around 8.30 am with an urgent message. Curious and slightly confused, he stepped outside, only to find a hot air balloon basket filled with passengers sitting in his backyard.

“I opened the door and there they were, a full basket of people just sitting in my backyard,” Perrin said. The unexpected sight left him momentarily stunned.

His wife, Jenna, who had been inside the house, rushed out soon after. She realised that the unusual noise she had heard earlier was not anything alarming, but the sound of the balloon’s burner as it descended.

Watch the video here:

A video of the incident, now circulating widely online, shows the balloon basket resting calmly in the backyard with around 13 passengers inside, looking just as surprised as the homeowners. The moment captures both the oddity and the calmness of the situation, with no visible panic.

According to one of the passengers, the landing was not planned. The pilot had been forced to descend due to low wind conditions and limited fuel. “We walked into the backyard and there's this basket full of 13 people, just sitting in the backyard looking at us,” Perrin recalled.

The pilot reportedly attempted to land on a nearby street but was unable to do so safely, eventually guiding the balloon into the yard instead.

- Ends