2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash

Hot air balloon crash in Texas, United States July 2016 2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash Accident 2016 07 30 Collision with power lines due to pilot error Maxwell, Texas, United States 29 53 6 N 97 45 44 W type:event inline,title yes Kubicek BB85Z hot air balloon Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company N2469L Fentress Airpark, Texas Unplanned 16 15 1 16 0 thumb | right | alt=Kubicek BB-20XR. | Kubicek BB-20XR On July 30, 2016, 16 people were killed when the hot air balloon they were riding in struck power lines, crashed and caught fire in the unincorporated community of Maxwell, near Lockhart, Texas, 30 mi -1 south of the state capital Austin. It is the deadliest ballooning disaster to ever occur in the United States.https://bnonews.com/index.php/2016/07/16-feared-dead-after-hot-air-balloon-crash-in-central-texas/ 16 feared dead after hot air balloon crash in central Texas July 30, 2016 BNO News November 23, 2021Stanglin Doug At least 16 dead in hot air balloon crash in Texas https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/30/least-16-people-died-hot-air-balloon-crash-texas-sheriff-says/87773736/ 2024-05-07 USA TODAY en-US Aircraft The aircraft involved was a Balóny Kubíček BB85Z hot air balloon,http://kxan.com/2016/07/31/ntsb-team-arrives-in-lockhart-today/ NTSB: Hot air balloon made contact with a utility wire Patrick Tolbert Cathy Bien LIN Television of Texas KXAN July 31, 2016 August 1, 2016 August 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160803082904/http://kxan.com/2016/07/31/ntsb-team-arrives-in-lockhart-today/ dead registration N2469L.https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=188936 ASN Wikibase Occurrence #188936 Aviation Safety Network July 30, 2016 August 1, 2016 The balloon was operated by the Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company, which served people in the Greater Austin area.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36933150 Texas hot air balloon crash: 'No survivors' among 16 on board BBC News Online July 30, 2016 July 30, 2016 Accident About 1 hour and 50 minutes before the flight's takeoff, the pilot assessed weather observations and forecasts for the planned route that indicated observations of clouds as low as 1,100 feet above ground level. The balloon departed from Fentress Airpark at 06:58 local time (11:58 UTC) on Saturday, July 30, 2016. The ground crew at takeoff reported watching the balloon fly in and out of a cloud layer until losing sight of it. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a sightseeing passenger flight.DCA16MA204.aspx https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA16MA204.aspx 2024-05-06 www.ntsb.gov It was carrying the pilot and fifteen passengers.https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/31/us/texas-hot-air-balloon-crash/index.html Texas hot air balloon hit power lines before crash, NTSB says Liz Flynn Thom Patterson Melissa Gray CNN July 31, 2016 August 1, 2016 At 07:42, the aircraft struck power lines, caught fire and crashed into a field near Lockhart, Texas.NTSB preliminary reporthttp://post-register.com/local-news/16-believe-killed-in-balloon-incident/ 16 believed killed in balloon incident Kathi Bliss Lockhart Post-Register July 30, 2016 July 30, 2016 All sixteen people on board were killed. The emergency services were alerted at 07:44 about a "possible vehicle accident", and arrived at the scene to find the basket of the balloon on fire.http://news.sky.com/story/hot-air-balloon-crash-kills-16-people-in-texas-10517549 Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 16 People In Texas Sky News July 30, 2016 July 30, 2016https://www.facebook.com/CCTXOEM/photos/a.424186777669052.1073741829.382284801859250/1055655947855462/?type=3&theater Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management Facebook July 30, 2016 July 30, 2016 A witness described hearing two "pops" which were thought to be a gun going off.Stanglin Doug At least 16 dead in hot air balloon crash in Texas https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/30/least-16-people-died-hot-air-balloon-crash-texas-sheriff-says/87773736/ 2024-05-07 USA TODAY en-US Reports said that the balloon lost contact about half an hour into the scheduled one-hour flight. The envelope of the balloon landed about 3/4 mi yd m -1 northeast of the burned-out gondola. The flight had covered a distance of about 8 nmi km. Investigation The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) led the investigation into what was designated a "major accident" by the NTSB.https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/hot-air-balloon-carrying-16-people-crashes-texas-41015210 'Number of Fatalities' in Texas Balloon Crash; Toll Unclear Vertuno Jim July 30, 2016 ABC News July 30, 2016 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also secured evidence for the NTSB's investigation.http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/30/us/texas-hot-air-balloon-crash/index.html Hot air balloon with 16 aboard crashes in Texas; no survivors Stephen Visser John Newsome CNN July 30, 2016 July 30, 2016 Fourteen personal electronic devices (cellphones, an iPad, and cameras) were recovered from the wreckage. These were turned over to the FBI for the recovery of evidence. The NTSB held an investigative hearing into the accident in December 2016.https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=59378&CFID=1178442&CFTOKEN=979120f489eee3cf-6A91BE9B-BA05-1F36-0DC671411E3D741A NTSB Accident ID DCA16MA204 December 9, 2016 September 8, 2017 NTSBhttps://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20170717.aspx Lockhart Balloon Crash Board Meeting Scheduled July 17, 2017 September 8, 2017 NTSB In October 2017, the NTSB determined the accident was caused by the pilot's "pattern of poor decision-making" that led him to launch the balloon (on a day when other balloon operators cancelled their planned flights because of low cloud and fog), to continue the flight into fog and above clouds, and then to descend near clouds which made it difficult to see and avoid obstacles. The pilot's medical conditions (depression and ADHD), the prescription drugs he was taking, and the fact that balloon pilots do not need a medical certificate even for commercial flights were contributing factors leading to the accident.NTSB Board Meeting, October 17, 2017 Press Release Abstract Webcast https://web.archive.org/web/20171018191423/http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/101717/ntsb_archive_wmv.htm October 18, 2017 An investigation found the balloon operator was found to have taken diazepam and oxycodone that likely affected the flight, as well as had enough diphenhydramine in his system to have the "equivalent blood-alcohol content of a drunken driver". Prior to the accident, the balloon's operator had at least four convictions for drunk driving and two incarcerations, conditions that would have prevented him from obtaining a medical flight certificate, should they have been required at the time.Jansen Bart Pilot's poor decision-making caused worst hot-air balloon crash in history, NTSB says https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/17/ntsb-balloon-pilots-poor-decision-making-caused-crash-killed-16-texas/772363001/ 2024-05-07 USA TODAY en-US Aftermath On August 1, Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, whose owner died in the accident, announced that it would be suspending operations.http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/us/texas-hot-air-balloon-crash/index.html Hot air balloon crash: Company suspends operations Polo Sandoval Melissa Gray Holly Yan CNN August 1, 2016 August 1, 2016http://www.hothotairballoonrides.com/ Hot Hot Air Balloon Rides Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides August 1, 2016 August 2, 2016 August 1, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160801162403/http://www.hothotairballoonrides.com/ dead After the crash, the NTSB issued two recommendations to make ballooning safer: to remove medical exemptions for pilots,Safety Recommendation A-17-034 https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/A-17-034 2024-05-06 data.ntsb.gov and to encourage the FAA to revisit their procedures for commercial balloon operators.Safety Recommendation A-17-045 https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/A-17-034 2024-05-06 data.ntsb.govNew Rule Protects Hot Air Balloon Passengers https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20221122.aspx 2024-05-06 www.ntsb.gov Texas lawmakers sought to bring stronger regulation for balloon flights, proposing new legislation in late 2017.Texas congressmen want pilot checks after 2016 balloon crash https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/san-antonio/news/2017/10/24/texas-congressmen-want-pilot-checks-after-2016-balloon-crash 2024-05-07 spectrumlocalnews.com en On April 25, 2018 Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett successfully introduced an amendment to incorporate the NTSB's recommendations for balloon operators as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. The bill was approved for floor action the next day.Texas Rep. Doggett's hot air balloon pilot safety amendment approved https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2018/04/26/texas-rep--doggett-offers-amendment-aimed-at-preventing-another-hot-air-balloon-tragedy 2024-05-07 spectrumlocalnews.com en Five months later on September 27, 2018, the House of Representatives approved the legislation mandating medical exams for commercial balloon pilots as part of federal law.https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/After-deadly-balloon-crash-in-Texas-lawmakers-13260969.php After deadly balloon crash in Texas, lawmakers mandate health screenings for pilots 2018-09-26 ExpressNews.com 2018-09-28 en-US Despite being written into federal law, it would not be until 2022 before the Federal Aviation Administration formally adopted rules requiring pilots of sightseeing operations and hot air balloons that carry paying customers to hold a medical certificate and to pass medical examinations, as required by commercial airplane and helicopter pilots.New Rule Protects Hot Air Balloon Passengers https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20221122.aspx 2024-05-06 www.ntsb.gov See also List of ballooning accidents 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash -- a very similar accident where poor pilot decision-making resulted in balloon colliding with power lines NTSB Aviation Investigation Number: DCA16MA204 References 30em External links Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides homepage Category:2016 in Texas Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving balloons and airships Category:Aircraft fires Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Texas Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2016 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Category:Caldwell County, Texas Category:July 2016 in the United States