Texas officials fear 16 dead in balloon crash
Disaster could be worst on record in U.S.
LOCKHART, Texas — A hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed Saturday in central Texas in what could be the deadliest such crash in U.S. history.
Authorities would not confirm the number of deaths, but Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said the balloon was carrying at least 16 people, and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that “it does not appear ... that there were any survivors.”
Sheriff Daniel Law said it’s the kind of situation where people can walk up and buy a ticket, unlike an airplane, which would have a list of names.
If 16 people were killed, it would be the one of the worst such disasters.
The deadliest such disaster happened in February 2013, when a balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt, caught fire and plunged into a sugar cane field, killing at least 19 tourists.
Saturday’s crash happened at about 7:40 a.m. local time in a pasture near Lockhart, a popular weekend getaway about 30 miles south of Austin.
The land near the crash site is mostly farmland, with corn crops and cattle. Cutting through the farmland is a row of high-capacity transmission lines about 4 to 5 stories tall.
Margaret Wylie, who lives a quarter-mile from the crash site, said she was letting her dog out Saturday when she heard a “pop, pop, pop.”
“I looked around and it was like a fireball going up,” she said, noting that the fireball was under large power lines and almost high enough to reach the bottom of them. Wylie called 911. Two officials familiar with the investigation say it was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides. The officials spoke Saturday on condition that they not be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Erik Grosof with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a news conference that the agency has deemed it a “major accident” and a full investigation will begin Sunday when more federal officials arrive.
Robert Sumwalt, who will head the NTSB’s crash investigation team, said he was studying the board’s recommendations to the FAA based on previous hot air balloon crashes.
Sumwalt said the team was trying to gather more information about the accident.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked in a statement for “all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost.”
Meanwhile, safety investigators recommended two years ago that the Federal Aviation Administration impose greater oversight on commercial hot air balloon operators, government documents show.
The FAA rejected those recommendations.
In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in April 2014, the NTSB urged the FAA to require tour companies to get agency permission to operate, and to make balloon operators subject to FAA safety inspections.
“The potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident is of particular concern if air tour balloon operators
Deadly accidents
Some of the worst accidents involving recreational hot air balloons:
Feb. 26, 2013: A hot air balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt, caught fire and plunged 1,000 feet into a sugar cane field, killing 19 tourists.
Aug. 23, 2012: Six people died and 26 were injured when a hot air balloon carrying 32 people, mostly tourists, caught fire and crashed near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.
Jan. 7, 2012: A hot air balloon struck power lines near Carterton, New Zealand, and exploded and crashed. All 11 people on board were killed.
Jan. 31, 1996: Five people died in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, when their balloon crashed into a mountainside at 8,000 feet.
Aug. 13, 1989: Thirteen people were killed when their hot air balloon collided with another over the Australian Outback near the town of Alice Springs. The balloons were flying at 2,000 feet when one plunged to the ground after the collision.
1785: Two Frenchmen attempting to cross the English Channel in a hot air balloon were killed when their balloon caught fire and crashed in what is perhaps the first fatal aviation accident. continue to conduct operations under less stringent regulations and oversight,” then-NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman wrote. Washington Post contributed.