The couple leaves behind four children in their blended marriage. They spoke Saturday on a condition that they remain anonymous because they had no prior authorization to speak publicly.
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The FBI’s evidence response team in San Antonio has been asked to assist in the investigation of the crash, the cause of which was still undetermined, he said. They were newlyweds who left behind a 5-year-old son.
The balloon fell in a pasture Saturday morning near Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin.
An investigation has been launched into what caused the worst such disaster in USA history.
The deadly crash occurred early on Saturday morning in a relatively open area, although a row of large high-capacity power lines can be scene in videos of the crash site.
Three people died in May 2014 during an air balloon festival in Virginia when a balloon hit a power line and burst into flames while landing.
The pilot was Alfred G.
The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to the NTSB.
Hersman recommended commercial balloon operators be required to acquire and maintain letters of authorization to hold air tour flights and to give passengers “a similar level of safety oversight as passengers of air tour airplane and helicopter operations”.
Mr Nichols’ Facebook page identifies himself as the chief pilot of Heart of Texas.
In a 2015 Facebook video, Nichols said he was inspired to become a balloonist at 15, when one landed on his street. “There’s no regulation that would have probably stopped what happened yesterday”, Carlton said.
“They found their vehicle there with everything, their ID, all the paperwork”, she said.
“It’s bad enough when you’ve got one or two (people) in the basket”.
“She was friendly to everybody and she was a very giving person”, says Miller. This is the preliminary working theory, he said. Most were badly damaged from the fire that broke out. He said the event is safe and family friendly, there is no cost of admission but attendees do have to pay the gate fee at Buffalo Springs Lake.
He says, “They were really happy and they were in love and they were really starting a life together”. “Especially when I watched the newscast of it going on and come to find out it was actually my friend”, Miller says.
The balloon crashed over Texas farmland.. He said investigators plan to speak with members of the company’s ground crew Monday in hopes of learning why the ride was delayed.
However, it was still unclear whether the fire broke out before or after the balloon struck the power lines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law and the Texas Department of Public Safety said it will take “a long process” to identify all 16 victim, according to the Associated Press.
It comes two years after the National Transportation Safety Board pressed the Federal Aviation Administration to boost its rules on hot air balloon operators. The rating is limited to hot air balloons with an airborne heater. The FAA rejected those recommendations. Nichols had lived in Missouri before moving to Texas. “And he showed me and it was huge, it was big”, said Alvarez. “There’s going to be all kinds of reports out in the press and I want a positive image there too”, he said.
Nixon resident, Lisa Peralez reads a prayer at the site of Saturday’s hot air balloon crash near Lockhart, Texas, Sunday, July 31, 2016. He said every customer rides with intentions on landing safely.
Philip Bryant runs Ballooning Adventures of Texas in Richmond, which also does manufacturer-mandated inspections and maintenance for other operators.
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However hot air balloon crashes are rare in the United States. In February 2013, a balloon caught fire while floating over Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 of the 21 on board.
