French skydiver Michel Fournier failed on his second attempt to set a new free-fall record after his $500,000 balloon left without him on Tuesday.

Fournier's initial plan was to be inside a small capsule attached to the balloon and then jump 24.85 miles (40 kilometers) to earth. To prepare for his ascent, Fournier was breathing compressed oxygen and wore a space suit. The ascent would have taken 120 minutes and the descent only a quarter of an hour.

Murray Oliver of CTV Canada reported, "Everything seemed to be going according to plan. The team's chase helicopter had risen into the air and was hovering and suddenly for reasons no one can explain, the balloon slipped free and began to ascend."

It was the second straight day of disappointment for the 64-year old former paratrooper who had to cancel his first attempt on Monday because of unfavorable wind conditions. Strong gusts of winds were also behind Fournier's two failed attempts in 2002 and 2003 to break the records.

He had to go to Canada for the jump because French officials did not allow his to do it on his native land because they deemed the stunt too dangerous. Fournier said he wanted to gather data to help astronauts and others in similar aerospace careers how to survive in high altitudes.

To fund his jump attempts, Fournier sold his retirement house and antique gun collection. There were reports Fournier still has a back-up balloon, but there was no news yet if he would make a third attempt.