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"The hot air balloon crash that happened in Lockhart, Texas, on Saturday would be one of the worst such disasters worldwide, possibly the worst in US history, if it is confirmed that 16 people were killed when the balloon caught fire and crashed.
The deadliest such disaster happened in February 2013, when a balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt, caught fire and plunged 1,000ft to the ground, crashing into a sugar cane field and killing at least 19 tourists.
It appeared no one survived, authorities said, without confirming the exact number of deaths. Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the balloon was carrying at least 16 people and the Caldwell County sheriff’s office said in a statement that it did not look like anyone survived.
The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to two officials familiar with the investigation. The officials spoke on condition that they not be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly."
Heart of Texas’ website said it offers rides in the San Antonio, Houston and Austin areas. The company’s Facebook page features photos of a hot air balloon with a smiley face with sunglasses on it up in the air, people waving from a large basket on the ground and group selfies taken while up in the air. The operation does not appear to be registered with the state of Texas.
Warning about potential high-fatality accidents, safety investigators recommended two years ago that the FAA impose greater oversight on commercial hot air balloon operators, government documents show. The FAA rejected those recommendations."
More here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/31/texas-hot-air-balloon-crash-lockhart-among-the-worst?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=edit_2221#link_time=1469971028
The deadliest such disaster happened in February 2013, when a balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt, caught fire and plunged 1,000ft to the ground, crashing into a sugar cane field and killing at least 19 tourists.
It appeared no one survived, authorities said, without confirming the exact number of deaths. Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the balloon was carrying at least 16 people and the Caldwell County sheriff’s office said in a statement that it did not look like anyone survived.
The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to two officials familiar with the investigation. The officials spoke on condition that they not be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly."
Heart of Texas’ website said it offers rides in the San Antonio, Houston and Austin areas. The company’s Facebook page features photos of a hot air balloon with a smiley face with sunglasses on it up in the air, people waving from a large basket on the ground and group selfies taken while up in the air. The operation does not appear to be registered with the state of Texas.
Warning about potential high-fatality accidents, safety investigators recommended two years ago that the FAA impose greater oversight on commercial hot air balloon operators, government documents show. The FAA rejected those recommendations."
More here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/31/texas-hot-air-balloon-crash-lockhart-among-the-worst?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=edit_2221#link_time=1469971028
