Blimp crashes during takeoff into two Las Vegas office buildings

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) - A blimp heading to Southern California crashed during takeoff Saturday into two office buildings, authorities said.

A ground crew was assisting with the blimp's departure from the North Las Vegas Airport about 9:30 a.m. when winds carried it over a fence and into a nearby office building, said Tim Bedwell, a police spokesman.

The crew was using lines to return the red-and-white blimp to the airport side of the fence, when winds again carried it over and into another office building, Bedwell said.

The pilot of the A-150 blimp, which bears the Saturn corporate logo, decided to land on the second, single-story office building, Bedwell said.

The pilot and passenger were not injured. The buildings suffered some roof damage as a result of the crashes, Bedwell said.

The blimp was believed to be heading to Long Beach, said Bruce Nelson, an operations officer with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board, along with the FAA, will investigate the crashes.

The blimp was registered to The Lightship Group, which is based in Orlando, Fla.

The company's Web site said the Saturn blimp was first launched in 2001 and has flown over such sporting events as the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The North Las Vegas Airport is the second-busiest in Nevada, behind McCarran International in Las Vegas, and one of the 54 busiest in the nation.

With three runways, the airport primarily serves small planes and sightseeing flights to the Grand Canyon and other southern Nevada locations, along with corporate and private aircraft.