In an unexpected turn of events, the autopsy report for Cornelius van der Walt, the pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Arizona and took four lives in January, has revealed he had elevated levels of ketamine in his system at the time of the accident. According to the Pinal County autopsy and toxicology report, van der Walt’s body contained between 1.1 to 1.2 mg/L of ketamine.
Van Der Walt, who was piloting the aircraft when it came crashing down, suffered severe injuries including large scalp contusions, numerous rib fractures, muscle injuries, a brain hemorrhage, and abrasions all over his body. The combined injuries were ultimately fatal.
The hot air balloon, operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides and carrying 13 passengers at takeoff, crashed after an “unspecified problem” with its envelope, the large bag that fills with hot air to make the aircraft rise, according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The incident occurred shortly after eight skydivers had left the craft before issues arose.
Witnesses reported the balloon partially deflated and dropped at high speeds, ultimately crashing into the ground and killing van der Walt, Chayton Wiescholek, 28, of Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, of Andrews, Indiana; and Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino, California. One other passenger, Valerie Sutton, survived but was critically injured.
The NTSB’s preliminary report also revealed that the material near the top of the balloon was frayed, and several panels were damaged. Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects, was found in van der Walt’s bloodstream during the autopsy. He did not have a known prescription for the drug, and it is unclear whether it was administered to him as part of resuscitation efforts following the crash or if he had ingested it prior to takeoff.
Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides temporarily halted their services due to the incident, with their website stating that they have “abruptly halted all services, digital and physical.” The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the NTSB predicting that final reports may not be available for up to two years.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are also involved in the investigation. Ketamine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a general anesthetic and for treatment-resistant depression, but it can be abused and has hallucinogenic effects.
The balloon was a Kubicek BB 85 and had been manufactured in 2011. Van der Walt, a resident of Eloy who was originally from South Africa, was the owner of Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides.
