Feds: Deadly hot air balloon crash likely struck power lines
Saturday, 01 Aug, 2016
0
The deadliest hot air balloon crash in US history which killed all 16 people onboard, likely hit electrical power lines before crashing, investigators at the National Transportation Board said.
The sunrise pleasure flight came down shortly after taking off near the town of Lockhart, Texas.
Witnesses reported seeing a ‘fireball’ but NTSB official Robert Sumwalt said it is still unclear whether it was a collision with power lines that sparked the fire.
"We’re looking at operation of balloon, pilot, and company that operated the balloon," Sumwalt said.
NTSB officials identified the balloon operator as Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides.
The pilot was medically certified to fly hot air balloons by the Federal Aviation Authority.
In 2014 the NTSB asked the FAA to strengthen commercial ballooning regulations, warning of a ‘potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident,’ but this was rejected by the FAA.
In a similar incident, three people died in May 2014 in Virginia when a hot air balloon hit power lines and crashed.
The NTSB said it has investigated 60 accidents in the last five years, with five accidents involving fatalities.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community. 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," governor Greg Abbott said in a statement.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports