Hot air balloon rides are typically depicted as peaceful experiences allowing passengers to take in a beautiful birds-eye view of the sights below, but one man has shared a video of exactly what can happen when the winds take over.
TikTok user Nicholas McCall took to the platform last week to share the footage of his scary experience and ask TikTok not to delete the clip, assuring everyone on board was 'okay' in the aftermath of his first-ever hot air balloon ride.
A quick warning – if you have any upcoming plans to travel in a hot air balloon, you probably shouldn't watch this video.
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However, if you're all set to stay on the ground, or just too curious to resist, check it out below:
McCall's video kicked off with an idyllic portrayal of a hot air balloon ride, showing him smiling as he floated over houses with the sun shining and seemingly not a cloud in the sky.
Things took a more dramatic turn when 'the winds picked up', though, prompting the pilot to bring the balloon to the ground in a dramatic crash-landing.
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The passenger filmed the moment the basket hit the ground, with the pilot heard repeatedly urging everyone to 'hang on' as the basket tipped dramatically and continued to drag along the ground.
Another passenger in the background could be heard screaming, while the pilot continued to instruct those on board and told them to 'stay in the basket'.
The clip came to an end with the basket still on the move, so it's unclear exactly how long it took before the passengers safely had their feet on the ground, but McCall's assurance that no one was injured in the incident indicates a happy ending.
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The scary video has racked up more than 4.3 million views at the time of writing (5 April), with many TikTokers responding to the clip to share their shock and joke about McCall's decision to keep recording in spite of the chaos occurring around him.
One viewer commended the pilot for his communication, prompting McCall to confirm he was 'very good and handled it perfectly'.
Another joked: "I absolutely love how our generation is able to keep recording no matter how dangerous the situation lol."
Hot air balloon pilots do not control the direction in which the flight goes, instead having to rely on the wind. The smoothness of the landing also depends on how strong winds are at the time, with ballooning site Wickers World explaining that while pilots aim for 'the landing to be as soft as possible', this 'cannot be guaranteed, especially if the wind is fairly strong'.
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Though McCall's landing was undoubtedly rough, at least the passengers all walked away unscathed!
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Emily Brown