Two days after the hot air balloon crash that killed 16 people near Lockhart, Texas this weekend, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday revealed new clues about what happened before and after the crash, but they were not ready to speculate on what caused it. She said he had been sober for at least four years and never piloted a balloon after drinking.
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Two years ago the U.S. national transportation safety board recommended greater oversight of the hot air balloon industry, said Robert Sumwalt, who is heading the federal agency’s investigation of the accident.
The pilot had drunken driving and drug convictions that would probably have blocked him from getting an airline pilot’s license, The Associated Press reports – but there are less stringent licensing requirements for balloon pilots.
Commercial plane pilots are required to fill out a form that includes questions on alcohol dependence or abuse and convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
That process screens applicants for drug or alcohol-related convictions and certificates are renewable every six months, Sumwalt said in response to a reporter’s question.
Given Saturday morning’s atmospheric conditions, investigators believe the balloon should have been able to hold more than the weight of 16 people, although they’re still working to determine exactly how much weight was on board.
Following his 2010 conviction for drunk driving, Nichols was sentenced to seven years in prison and released on parole in January 2012.
In 2000, he pleaded guilty to a drug-related charge and spent time in prison, according to criminal records. In July 2008, the Better Business Bureau reported that it had received eight complaints about the company in the previous two years. And there is no oversight of that requirement for balloon pilots.
In the deposition, Nichols said the wind died down and he calmly brought the balloon down to the ground in a “textbook landing”. They recovered three cameras and an iPad that Nichols used to navigate the balloon.
Customers complained that canceled rides cost them $70 to $700. A Catholic nun, for example, never recouped the $364 she paid toward a ride for her and three friends to celebrate her 50th anniversary of service.
The company that owned the balloon, Heart of Texas Balloon Rides, has suspended operations. In order to keep his St. Louis business going, he started offering flights in Texas in the winter when St. Louis was rainy and cold. On Aug. 3, 2014, the balloon made a hard landing in Kyle, Texas, when the pilot touched down abruptly to avoid striking a ground-crew vehicle that had been parked in the balloon’s path. Two passengers were hurt.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides expressed condolences over those killed in the crash and said it was suspending operations. And again, it’s not clear whether pilot error contributed to the crash.
The company said it has not been in contact with the relatives of those killed in the crash as it is being probed by USA investigators. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Families of the victims have begun to share photos taken by the victims before and during the balloon ride.
Sunday Rowan bought the balloon flight for her husband as a birthday gift a year ago and it had taken them a while to schedule it, Jones said. “Then you can you see where the power lines are”. Brcic injured her neck and back.
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FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said it’s too soon to say what the agency’s next actions will be until there has been time to gather and assess information on the crash.
