The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, owned and operated by Alfred “Skip” Nichols, described by friends and neighbors as a longtime balloon operator with a love of floating high above the Texas landscape.
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Lirette also confirmed that 16 people, 15 passengers and Nichols, were riding in the balloon when it went down near Lockhart, Texas.
Police say the pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Texas and killed all 16 people aboard had been arrested in Missouri for driving while intoxicated in 2000. Among their early findings: there are signs the balloon came into contact with power lines. Officers found the balloon basket on fire on the ground, the statement said. They spoke Saturday on a condition that they remain anonymous because they had no prior authorization to speak publicly.
The former chairwoman of the NTSB, Deborah Hersman, urged the FAA in 2014 to address “operational deficiencies” in hot air balloon activities after several incidents resulted in injuries and one death, according to a letter published on the NTSB’s website.
Scene of hot air balloon crash in Texas.
Sunday and Matt Rowan, both 34, were killed in Saturday’s balloon accident in Texas. Alan Lirette told The Associated Press that his roommate and co-worker Skip Nichols piloted the balloon. Aerial television footage showed remnants of the red, white and blue balloon, adorned with a large, yellow smiley face wearing sunglasses, lying flattened at the crash site. “[Nichols] was a great pilot”, he said.
As for the environment, the NTSB said the balloon’s original departure time was delayed by 20 minutes, but they haven’t nailed down exactly why.
Grosof said the investigation will begin “full bore” Monday after specialists from an agency “Go Team” based in Washington arrive in Central Texas. Bryant said the manufacturer of Nichols’ balloon mandates an annual inspection, and that the state of Texas does not inspect or regulate them.
911 callers first believed a vehicle had crashed.
– The area where it happened lies between Austin and San Antonio and is popular for weekend excursions such as ballooning or skydiving, according to CNN’s Ed Lavandera.
The company’s Facebook page was filled with condolence messages and photographs of Nichols. The investigation will include the balloon’s maintenance history and the weather at the time of the crash. Authorities have not released the passengers’ names.
The NTSB is interested in any cellphone video of the flight from witnesses, and investigators will look for devices in the wreckage that might contain video shot by passengers.
In order to receive this certification, they must complete a course, pass an examination, and demonstrate proficiency during a test flight with an inspector, FAA officials told the Houston Chronicle.
“Our mission is to find out what happened so that we can keep it from happening again”, said Robert Sumwalt with the NTSB.
Margaret Wylie lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site and told The Associated Press that she was letting her dog out Saturday morning when she heard a “pop, pop, pop”.
FAA investigators were on their way to the site, Ms Lunsford said, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) taking charge of the probe.
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The deadliest hot air balloon crash took place in Luxor, Egypt, on February 26, 2013.
