Saturday’s crash happened in a pasture near Lockhart, which is about 30 miles south of Austin.
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This hot air balloon crash has killed more people than any other hot air balloon accident in US history.
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Saturday that investigators are determining the number of victims and their identities. Previously, the highest number of fatalities in a single hot air balloon crash was six. Officers found the balloon basket on fire on the ground, the statement said.
At least 16 people were on board the balloon, which Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said caught fire before crashing into a pasture shortly after 7:40 a.m. Saturday near Lockhart. He noted they’ll be looking at “three things – human, machine and environment”.
More than 150 commercial hot air balloon companies operate in North America, he said. That was the world’s most fatal hot air balloon accident in at least 20 years. The operation does not appear to be registered with the state of Texas.
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. Aerial television footage from the aftermath of the accident showed remnants of the red, white and blue balloon, adorned with a large, yellow smiley face wearing sunglasses, lying flattened at the crash site.
This balloon crash was first reported to have a “significant loss of life” and as the morning went on, reports of no survivors followed. Cutting through that farmland is a row of massive high-capacity transmission lines about 4 to 5 stories tall.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he and his wife “lift up in prayer” everyone impacted by the crash.
“I think the pops I heard was the balloon connecting with the power lines”, Wylie told NBC News.
“I looked around and it was like a fireball going up”, she said, noting that the fireball was under large power lines and nearly high enough to reach the bottom of them.
Two officials familiar with the investigation who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly have said Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides operated it. According to USA Today, Dean Carlton, president of the Balloon Federation of America, hot air balloon is “a vehicle like cars and trucks”, adding that Saturday’s crash is “very rare”. Authorities have not named any of the people on board.
Nichols posted videos of several balloon flights to his Facebook page. Nichols, 49, is also the registered owner of Missouri-based Air Balloon Sports LLC.
In April of 2014, the NTSB recommended that the FAA strengthen ballooning regulations in order to “prevent accidents and save lives”.
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The National Transportation Safety Board offered no details on what may have caused the accident, which occurred on a clear day.
