The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to two officials familiar with the investigation.
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He said there 15 people on board plus Nichols in a balloon that could have held up to 17 people total. The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said there were no survivors.
Lirette said Nichols went by the first name of Skip.
Though authorities haven’t publicly identified the pilot, Alan Lirette told the AP that it was Skip Nichols – his best friend, boss and roommate.
Lirette would not answer specific questions about the balloon’s launch or crash into a pasture Saturday morning near Lockhart, Texas.
Margaret Wylie, who lives near the scene, said she heard a pop outside the house and went out to the porch when she heard another pop. “I called 911 and I waited until I saw the fire department go by”. The pilot, trying to avoid power lines, crash landed, breaking his hip and ankle.
A neighbor who saw the aftermath said hot air balloons are common in the area. This is the preliminary working theory, the source said. Officers found the balloon basket on fire on the ground, the statement said.
Erik Grosof with the National Transportation Safety Board says a full-bore investigation was to begin Sunday after more federal officials arrive.
“The FAA and NTSB do not release the names of pilots or passengers”.
Wendy Bartch, a former girlfriend of Nichols, told the Austin American-Statesman that Mr Nichols was “a good pilot and loved people”, was cautious about keeping passengers safe, and had been involved with hot air balloons for about two decades. Attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.
Up to 24 people are allowed on a balloon flight, according to the company’s website.
The pilot in the crash was also identified on Sunday. “He has done this for a very long time”.
Witnesses have suggested it may have hit power lines. Seven to 10 days after field work ends, the agency will issue a preliminary report “that’s basically a snapshot of what facts do we know at that point in time”. However, after seeing the aftermath of the crash, Janez says he may think twice.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked in a statement that “all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost”. Ted Cruz of Texas extended condolences to the families of the people killed in the crash.
“We’re here to gather factual information”, Sumwalt said.
“The potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident is of particular concern if air tour balloon operators continue to conduct operations under less stringent regulations and oversight”, then-NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman wrote. In February 2013, a balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt, caught fire and plunged 1,000 feet to the ground, crashing into a sugar cane field and killing at least 19 foreign tourists.
The NTSB had based its warning on three prior balloon accidents that it had investigated.
“Depending on gondola capacity, balloons can carry more than 20 passengers per flight”.
During the brief news conference in Washington, D.C., Sumwalt said NTSB investigators were just beginning the process of determining what caused the balloon to crash.
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Huerta responded that regulations were unnecessary because the risks were too low, and the NTSB classified the FAA’s response to the two balloon safety recommendations as “open-unacceptable”, which means the safety board was not satisfied with the FAA’s response.
