Balloon That Landed On Andover Highway Was Art Project

ANDOVER, MA — The silver, hot air balloon that landed next to the on-ramp connecting Route 125 and Route 28 in Andover Monday morning was the New Horizon, a moving art installation makings its way across Massachusetts. Joel Steele, the crew chief who was following the balloon Monday morning, said in a phone interview that the landing was "perfectly safe" and not a crash, as previously reported. Steele said the pilot and six passengers on the balloon were uninjured.

"It went essentially how we expected it to go," Steele said. "That was the best landing spot we could get. It wasn't like a crash landing — it was just the most ideal landing location for the course we were on."

The balloon landed next to the on ramp but blocked the roadway as it deflated. Steele said New Horizon was on its third flight of the morning from the Stevens-Coolidge Estate in North Andover when it landed on the on-ramp just after 8 a.m. on Monday. The flights were part of a publicity campaign for the art project.

"We never plan on specific [landing] locations," Steele said, noting the balloon had previously landed on other roadways and cul de sacs. "We essentially fly where the wind takes us. We were heading over those smaller towns up there. We don't always have a planned destination or location."

New Horizon is a 100-foot-tall hot air balloon designed by Doug Aiken, who was on board with a film crew from WGBH Boston when the balloon touched down Monday morning. New Horizon has been flying to various properties maintained by the Trustees of Reservations, starting on July 12 in Martha's Vineyard. It is scheduled to continue making stops across the state, with its final stop on July 28 in the Berkshires.

Andover and State Police responded to the scene after a 911 call and as traffic built up on the two roadways. The balloon landed around 8:07 a.m. and the scene was cleared by 8:30 a.m.

"The wind shifted and they needed to land pretty quickly. It was the most viable place for them to land," said Kristie Perry of the Trustees of Reservations, which has been providing landing and take off sports for New Horizon, including the Stevens-Coolidge Estate. "It was cleared up pretty quickly and police were there to direct traffic for a short time while the balloon was packed up."

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).