“There were a number of fatalities”, he said. An NTSB spokesman said more details about the crash would be provided Sunday. “As always, Texans are strong in the face of adversity, and we all stand together in support of the families and entire Lockhart community as they respond to and begin to heal from this bad incident”.
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“It’s a very close community, we all know each other”, Cannon said.
Just minutes before the crash, a husband and wife traveling on the Texas 130 toll road spotted the balloon, which was piloted by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides owner Alfred “Skip” Nichols.
Margaret Wylie, 66, who lives a quarter-mile from the crash site, said she saw the balloon explode into a fireball after it struck the ground on a neighbor’s property.
Erika Gonzales said she snapped a photo of the red, white and blue balloon as they passed.
“About the time I looked over there was when a whooshing sound happened and the fireball went up”, she said.
– Law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call at 7:44 a.m. (8:44 a.m. ET) about a possible auto accident in the Maxwell area, according to a statement on the Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management’s Facebook page.
She added that the weather seemed clear and that she often sees hot air balloons in the area.
This item has been corrected to show witness’ last name is Wylie, not Wiley.
The NTSB had based its warning on three prior balloon accidents that it had investigated. Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said earlier that the balloon was carrying at least 16 people.
More than a dozen police vehicles could be seen on pasture land at the site of the crash, which the FAA said occurred at about 7:40 a.m. (1240 GMT). Cutting through that farmland is a row of massive high-capacity transmission lines about 4 to 5 stories tall. The preliminary report will not include a probable cause of the crash, he said.
If all 16 fatalities are confirmed, the crash would be the deadliest United States hot air balloon accident on record, according to the NTSB.
Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences for all those who have been affected by today’s heartbreaking tragedy. The investigation into the cause of this tragic accident will continue, and I ask all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost.
Authorities say it is likely there are no survivors after a hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas.
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office says investigators are trying to determine the exact number of victims and their identities.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the balloon caught fire before crashing into a pasture about 30 miles south of Austin.
Calls to the company were not answered, but a person who spoke at its reservations service said the company offered flights in the Austin area that coincide with the sunrise.
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– The National Transportation Safety Board says the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with it to help document the scene, which is now secured for evidence collection.
