Hot air balloon crashes in backyard of San Diego home

SAN DIEGO - A hot air balloon crash landed in the back yard of a Rancho Penasquitos home on Monday afternoon, just moments after a local couple exchanged wedding vows.

According to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque, the balloon landed in the back of a home on Calle de los Ninos at Avenida De La Cantina shortly after 4:45 p.m.

Kerin and Jonathan Narcisse had just exchanged their wedding vows thousands of feet in the air.

Shana Pergande, one of the six loved ones witnessing the wedding, did not skip a beat recording the entire crash landing with her cellphone.

Luque told 10News 13 people were inside the basket of the balloon when it landed. One of the balloon's occupants suffered a minor back injury and was transported to Pomerado Hospital as a precaution. No other injuries were reported.

The deflated blue-and-yellow balloon wound up draped over a tree and part of a home but caused no known property damage, according to Luque.

Later, at their reception in La Jolla, the newlyweds explained what happened.

"The first couple times he tried to land, we floated over," said Kerin Narcisse.

Jonathan Narcisse added, "We kept missing landing spots. Next thing you know, we're descending and I'm thinking, 'How is he going to land here' because there's no place to land. And of course he hit the fence, but we hit and we skidded and then we bounced."

"I got a little worried when we hit the fence and I thought, 'Well, if the fence doesn't stop us then we're going down this hill,'" Kerin said.

There is plenty of irony behind this matrimony.

"I told him if I ever got married again I had to get married in a hot air balloon," said Kerin.

But Jonathan, an editor and publisher from Iowa, is deathly afraid of heights.   

"I am terrified," he said.

Yet he agreed, saying it was a testament of his love.

On Tuesday, the owner of Skysurfer Balloon Company called the incident a "windy landing" and said it happens all of the time.

10News uncovered video of another incident in April 2007 that shows another hot air balloon crash. The company operating it was also called Skysurfer, though it's unclear if it was the same company.

A battle between balloonists and the city of San Diego has even led to lawsuits. Though it reportedly brings in $30 million to the local economy because of tourists. 10News spoke with a lawyer who once represented balloonists in lawsuits. He said the city's Parks and Recreations Department has cited balloon pilots if they land within city limits even if it's an open space. Those citations were eventually dismissed.