Heroic locals saved a hot air balloon from crash landing when it dropped from the sky during poor weather conditions.

The pilot lost control of the aircraft as it began descending in Nijkerk in the central Dutch province of Gelderland on September 22.

It appeared to be heading towards a nearby school building and there was also a canal hazard next to a small path that it could have crashed and sank into.

However, bystanders noticed the impending disaster and rallied around the basket, using their strength to keep it suspended in the air while carrying it along the path.

In the video, around a dozen residents are seen keeping the balloon’s basket, with 12 passengers still on board, above ground. The operator also tries to make the balloon stay in the air by applying the thrust.

The balloonist was eventually able to reach a safe clearing on a nearby field to land the balloon.

Onlooker Edwin Broertjes said that a sudden change of atmospheric and weather conditions meant the balloon could not stay in the sky and began an alarming descent.

He said: ''For a long time, the hot air balloon was suspended at a low altitude above Nijkerk. Due to the weather conditions, the balloon sailed very slowly and could not reach enough height to develop more speed.

''In the end the question was not whether, but where the balloon would land in the middle of the neighborhood. This was located near the Corlaer College, on the adjacent cycle path.''