A viral social media claim about a hot air balloon making an emergency landing near Neknampur lake in Hyderabad on January 17, 2026, was denied by the flight safety chief at the ongoing Hot Air Balloon Festival. Captain M Chouhan, Chief of Flight Safety at Sky Waltz, the festival's balloon operator, told The Hindu that the videos circulating online only showed a routine controlled landing in an open field. “The images and videos being widely shared reflected a normal landing procedure. This is just a lack of public understanding about how hot air balloons operate,” Captain Chouhan said. He explained that hot air balloons rise and fall using heated air inside the balloon, which makes them lighter than the outside air. Balloons do not have engines or steering controls and rely on wind currents to move. This is why balloons land in open grasslands or fields instead of runways. Captain Chouhan added that the exact landing spot is decided during the flight based on wind conditions. Ground teams follow the balloon and help with landing. After landing, the crew carefully deflates and packs the balloon. He confirmed that all balloons at the festival followed the same landing procedure, including the one carrying Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao. “If you look at pictures and videos of 10 other balloons, they will land in the exact same manner,” he said. Notably, the viral video shows the balloon upright, confirming it was not a crash but a safe, standard landing. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certified flight safety chief ensured the public that no emergency or technical problem had occurred.