2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash

2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash

Photograph of a Kubicek balloon

The balloon involved in the accident was made by Kubicek Balloons (similar balloon pictured).
Accident summary
Date July 30, 2016 (2016-07-30)
Summary Under investigation
Site Maxwell, Texas
29°53′6″N 97°45′44″W / 29.88500°N 97.76222°W / 29.88500; -97.76222Coordinates: 29°53′6″N 97°45′44″W / 29.88500°N 97.76222°W / 29.88500; -97.76222
Passengers 15
Crew 1
Fatalities 16 (all)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type Kubicek BB85Z hot air balloon
Operator Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company
Registration N2469L
Flight origin Fentress Airpark, Texas
Destination Unplanned
Maxwell
Maxwell (Texas)

On July 30, 2016, sixteen 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, a city 30 miles (48 km) south of the state capital Austin. It is the deadliest ballooning disaster in the United States, and the second-deadliest worldwide, surpassed only by a hot air balloon crash in Egypt in 2013.[1] It is also the deadliest aviation incident on U.S. soil since Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in 2009.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Kubicek BB85Z hot air balloon,[2] registration N2469L.[3] The balloon was operated by the Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company, which serves people in the Greater Austin area.[4]

Accident

The balloon departed from Fentress Airpark at 07:09 local time (12:09 UTC) on Saturday, July 30, 2016.[2] It was carrying the pilot and fifteen passengers.[5] At 07:42,[2] the aircraft struck power lines and crashed into a field near Lockhart, Texas.[6] 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.[7][8]

A witness described hearing two "pops" which was thought to be a gun going off. Reports said that the balloon lost contact about half an hour into the scheduled one-hour flight.[4] It is thought that the balloon collided with the power lines.[9] The envelope of the balloon landed about 3⁄4 mile (1,320 yd; 1,210 m) northeast of the burned-out gondola. The flight had covered a distance of about 8 nautical miles (15 km).[2]

Investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration sent investigators to the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will take over the investigation from them.[4] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were at the scene securing evidence for the NTSB's investigation.[10] The event was designated a "major accident" by the NTSB.[11] 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.[2]

The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a "preliminary working theory" that investigators believe the hot air balloon struck power lines and caught fire.[10]

Aftermath

On August 1, Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, whose owner died in the incident, announced that it would be suspending operations.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "16 feared dead after hot air balloon crash in central Texas". BNO News. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tolbert, Patrick; Bien, Cathy (July 31, 2016). "NTSB: Hot air balloon made contact with a utility wire". KXAN. LIN Television of Texas. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  3. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #188936". Aviation Safety Network. July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Texas hot air balloon crash: 'No survivors' among 16 on board". BBC News Online. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ Flynn, Liz; Patterson, Thom; Gray, Melissa (July 31, 2016). "Texas hot air balloon hit power lines before crash, NTSB says". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ NTSB preliminary report
  7. ↑ "Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 16 People In Texas". Sky News. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management". Facebook. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  9. ↑ Bliss, Kathi (July 30, 2016). "16 believed killed in balloon incident". Lockhart Post-Register. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Visser, Stephen; Newsome, John (July 30, 2016). "Hot air balloon with 16 aboard crashes in Texas; no survivors". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ Vertuno, Jim (July 30, 2016). "'Number of Fatalities' in Texas Balloon Crash; Toll Unclear". ABC News. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  12. ↑ Sandoval, Polo; Gray, Melissa; Yan, Holly (August 1, 2016). "Hot air balloon crash: Company suspends operations". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Hot Hot Air Balloon Rides". Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides. August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.

External links

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