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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1 |
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS By Neil Vigdor, New York Times Sept 23, 2021 Balloon struck power lines on June 26 in Albuquerque, New Mexico The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed into power lines in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in June, killing him and all four passengers, had cocaine and marijuana in his system, according to a toxicology report made public Wednesday.
Blood and urine samples taken from the pilot, Nicholas Meleski, 62, showed the presence of the drugs, the Federal Aviation Administration said in the report, which the agency released as part of a public records request.
Although alcohol was not detected in the samples, cocaethylene, a compound created when the liver metabolizes cocaine in the presence of ethanol, was also detected in his urine but not his blood. The FAA did not comment beyond the report.
The balloon piloted by Meleski struck power lines at 7:07 a.m. local time June 26 about 6 miles west of the Albuquerque International Sunport airport, causing the gondola to separate from the balloon’s envelope and fall about 100 feet, investigators said.
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Balloon pilots must get a pilot's license from the FAA. I wonder if they are subjected to random drug tests. I got hit with several random drug tests when I was driving the big rig. If you test positive one time, for coke or for pot, your driving career is over.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1 |
from last June: Balloon pilot remembered for his unique, positive personality ALBUQUERQUE NEWS by: Jami Seymore, KRQE Staff Posted: Jun 27, 2021 / 05:18 PM MDT / Updated: Jun 29, 2021 / 10:26 AM MDT ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – On Sunday morning, state police identified the pilot of Saturday’s hot air balloon crash as Nicholas Meleski. The longtime local pilot had been a part of a number of Balloon Fiestas. Friends say the avid balloonist loved flying his iZia balloon around the world and was always smiling, making passengers feel at ease. One day after a tragic hot air balloon crash in southwest Albuquerque, five candles now sit amongst the flowers and ribbons at the crash site off Central and Unser — one for each of the victims, including the pilot, Nick Meleski. Longtime friend Maria Abramson remembers the moment she heard about the horrific crash. “I saw a post yesterday. We were watching YouTube and they had the news on about a balloon incident,” said Abramson, who has since relocated from Albuquerque to Houston. “I saw it and thought, ‘well God, that’s terrible.'” She says she originally didn’t connect the dots. Abramson says she was floored when his name was listed amongst the victims this morning. I asked her, ‘Patty, please tell me it isn’t Nick,'” said Abramson, who immediately called a mutual friend here. “She said, ‘it’s Nick.'” Abramson says she first met Meleski when he was a UPS driver and would often come to her work. She eventually began working for his sister. One day, he invited her up for a flight for her first balloon ride. “He talked us through the whole flight and explained to us and then we got to a certain point where we were up,” said Abramson. “Throw out a little history about the ballooning and then he would not say anything because he would say I just want you to sit here and enjoy thi Some of Meleski’s fellow balloonists reached out to us with their own memories of him. Some say he radiated positivity, while others recalled the times they flew around the world in places like India, Thailand and China. However, all say this is an enormous loss to the ballooning community, not just in Albuquerque, but around the world. “He loved ballooning,” said Abramson. “You could see it in his eyes.” Meleski crewed for at least 10 years before getting his pilot’s license back in the mid-90s. In addition to the iZia balloon, Meleski had also flown special shapes like the red Angry Birds and Smokey Bear.
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,142 Likes: 31
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,142 Likes: 31 |
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 17,936 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 17,936 Likes: 1 |
"To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson
We are all Rhodesians now.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13 |
Not sure what more to expect from a guy that aspires to pilot balloons.
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual. Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit. My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 1,889
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 1,889 |
Guy I went to school with, couple years older than me got killed flying high. He took a nose dive out of 6th story of parking garage while high on meth. Just say no to drugs!
Romans 5:1
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,153 Likes: 12
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,153 Likes: 12 |
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428 |
In the sky with diamonds....
"I can't be canceled, because, I don't give a fuuck!" --- Kid Rock 2022
Holocaust Deniers, the ultimate perverted dipchits: Bristoe, TheRealHawkeye, stophel, Ghostinthemachine, anyone else?
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,408
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,408 |
throw in some booze and whores and it sounds like a good balloon ride
My diploma is a DD214
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428 |
throw in some booze and whores and it sounds like a good balloon ride Heck yah! Until you hit the power lines...
"I can't be canceled, because, I don't give a fuuck!" --- Kid Rock 2022
Holocaust Deniers, the ultimate perverted dipchits: Bristoe, TheRealHawkeye, stophel, Ghostinthemachine, anyone else?
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,533
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,533 |
I think this also happened in 2016, 10 people died, pilot was high.
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Posts: 2,643
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,643 |
Can't die like a rock star unless you can party like a rock star!
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24,385
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24,385 |
Although alcohol was not detected in the samples, cocaethylene, a compound created when the liver metabolizes cocaine in the presence of ethanol, was also detected in his urine but not his blood. Facts don't seem to matter at the fire
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 25,526 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 25,526 Likes: 3 |
I’d have to be completely wasted also to go up in one of those things.
�Politicians are the lowest form of life on earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.� �General George S. Patton, Jr.
--------------------------------------------------------- ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,183 |
Pot screws up your depth perception.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 31,428 |
Although alcohol was not detected in the samples, cocaethylene, a compound created when the liver metabolizes cocaine in the presence of ethanol, was also detected in his urine but not his blood. Facts don't seem to matter at the fire Celebrate individual freedom, unless you disagree, then you're a muthetfuucker!
"I can't be canceled, because, I don't give a fuuck!" --- Kid Rock 2022
Holocaust Deniers, the ultimate perverted dipchits: Bristoe, TheRealHawkeye, stophel, Ghostinthemachine, anyone else?
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 14,228 Likes: 1 |
To be fair, marijuana stays in your system a long time. You could be completely stoned on pot on Saturday night, and take a drug test 3 days later. You haven't been stoned for days, but the pot would show up on that drug test. Smoking one good joint could get you a positive test for a week. So, no way to know if the dead pilot was actually stoned on pot.
On the other hand, cocaine doesn't stay in the system for long so he probably was high on coke.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,718 Likes: 14
Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,718 Likes: 14 |
I’m always stoned when I fly my balloon. What is the big deal?
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,952
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,956 |
He must have been really fried
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