16 killed including suspect pilot with drunk driving criminal record July 30, 2016 Texas Balloon Crash Kills 16 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. In December 2016, it had been revealed pilot had taken a deadly cocktail of drugs before flying and had been warned of weather. None speculated whether taking drugs could be a cover story for deliberately flying into power lines. It is much easier to fly above the lines than to deliberately aim for them which is only way experienced pilot would hit them. The pilot had been stripped of his driver's license at least twice, "couldn't drive a car but he could pilot a hot-air balloon,"
*Tags
- air travel
- drugs
- intoxicated driving
- jail time
- murder suicide attack possibility
- germanwings pilot murder suicide
*Wikipedia
2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Lockhart_hot_air_balloon_crash
On July 30, 2016, sixteen people were killed when the hot air balloon they were riding in struck ... registration N2469L. The balloon was operated by the Heart of Texas Balloon Ride company, which serves people in the Greater Austin area.2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The balloon involved in the accident was made by Kubicek Balloons (similar balloon pictured).
| |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 30, 2016 |
| Summary | Under investigation |
| Site | Maxwell, Texas 29°53′6″N 97°45′44″WCoordinates: 29°53′6″N 97°45′44″W |
| 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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "16 feared dead after hot air balloon crash in central Texas". BNO News. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e 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.
- Jump up^ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #188936". Aviation Safety Network. July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "Texas hot air balloon crash: 'No survivors' among 16 on board". BBC News Online. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- Jump up^ 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.
- Jump up^ NTSB preliminary report
- Jump up^ "Hot Air Balloon Crash Kills 16 People In Texas". Sky News. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- Jump up^ "Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management". Facebook. July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- Jump up^ Bliss, Kathi (July 30, 2016). "16 believed killed in balloon incident". Lockhart Post-Register. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Visser, Stephen; Newsome, John (July 30, 2016). "Hot air balloon with 16 aboard crashes in Texas; no survivors". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- Jump up^ Vertuno, Jim (July 30, 2016). "'Number of Fatalities' in Texas Balloon Crash; Toll Unclear". ABC News. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- Jump up^ Sandoval, Polo; Gray, Melissa; Yan, Holly (August 1, 2016). "Hot air balloon crash: Company suspends operations". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- Jump up^ "Hot Hot Air Balloon Rides". Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides. August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides homepage
Missing info[edit]
We need the registration of the balloon involved, which will then give us the model and enable a suitable photograph to be sourced. Unfortunately, the NTSB website keeps timing out for me so I'm unable to see what info they have put out about this accident. Mjroots (talk) 05:44, 31 July 2016 (UTC)Very little information on the website http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/2016-lockhart-tx.aspx we will probably need to wait until the main investigation team has arrived. MilborneOne (talk) 16:01, 31 July 2016 (UTC)Balloon type identified, still no registration though. Mjroots (talk) 10:38, 1 August 2016 (UTC)Registration now confirmed as N2469L. Before anyone complains about the Aviation Safety Network Wikibase being uses as a reference, the actual reference is the NTSB video housed on that page. As detailed above, I'm having difficulty accessing the NTSB website, therefore I have no objection to the reference being changed. I will say that the ASN Wikibase entry is well referenced, and should be reliable enough to use in the absence of any other reference. Mjroots (talk) 13:07, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
CFIT[edit]
Why is this categorized as CFIT? There's been no accident report released, the investigation just got started. And would it even count as "controlled" since it is a hot air balloon ? -- 65.94.171.217 (talk) 10:43, 31 July 2016 (UTC)Good question. I'll remove the category. Balloon flight is at best "semi-controlled". Mjroots (talk) 10:57, 31 July 2016 (UTC)
Semi-protected edit request on 1 August 2016[edit]
This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans=parameter to no to reactivate your request.The sentence "Witnesses described hearing two "pops" which was thought to be a gun going off." should be changed to "One witness described hearing two "pops" which she thought was a gun going off.", in accordance with the source provided. 80.2.106.75 (talk) 13:43, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
Fixed Mjroots (talk) 13:53, 1 August 2016 (UTC)Ta. 80.2.106.75 (talk) 16:50, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
Open - Unacceptable Response[edit]
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.recsearch/Recommendation.aspx?Rec=A-14-012 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.225.136.61 (talk) 17:51, 1 August 2016 (UTC)Relevance ? MilborneOne (talk) 21:08, 1 August 2016 (UTC)@MilborneOne: - this relates to previous NTSB recommendations that Balloon operators in the USA are placed under a tighter regulatory regime. Something the FAA rejected. Not sure that it has any bearing on this accident from what has been reported so far. Mjroots (talk) 21:14, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
Photo[edit]
Photo is of a Kubicek balloon, but does not come close to resembling the accident balloon. Actual balloon is: http://www.kubicekballoons.eu/w/1400/img/catalog/gallery/gallery22/1076.jpg?v=0 and is of different style and size from that pictured. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.3.216.70 (talk) 19:41, 1 August 2016 (UTC)We could use an image of the actual balloon under fair use regulations. Other than that, it's a case of picking an image from Commons:Category:Kubicek Balloons. Mjroots (talk) 21:12, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
Two not aboard?[edit]
Initial report I heard live on Fox News had said the hot air baloon company had been calling the passengers, they said two of the passengers were scheduled to be on the flight but missed it. They even added the company called the couple were driving on the road, google cant help me back this up... Anyone remember this too? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.30.227.170 (talk) 05:49, 2 August 2016 (UTC)
Pilot's background[edit]
There is quite a bit of negative material coming out re the pilot's background. I would suggest that unless there is proof that his background had a direct effect on the events, we keep it out of the article on the grounds of it being irrelevant clutter. Also, there is no need to name him as far as I can see. Mjroots (talk) 15:25, 2 August 2016 (UTC)I agree; there is almost never a need to name the pilot, we should only do it when it is absolutely essential to understanding the subject (e.g. MH370 or the Germanwings crash). YSSYguy (talk) 20:16, 2 August 2016 (UTC)@YSSYguy: or when said pilot is given a medal or similar honour (e.g. BOAC Flight 712, USAirways Flight 1549). Mjroots (talk) 20:19, 2 August 2016 (UTC)
*Sources
December 9, 2016 news Balloon Pilot Who Killed 16 in Texas on Drugs, Had Many DWIs Bloomberg The pilot of a hot-air balloon that crashed last summer in Texas, killing himself and 15 sightseeing passengers, had taken a cocktail of prohibited drugs before liftoff including the opiate painkiller oxycodone, according to government documents. Alfred “Skip” Nichols was able to continue flying people for hire in spite of being convicted five times for driving while intoxicated and three times for drug offenses. While the balloon was supposed to fly only in clear conditions, photos taken on the craft shortly before the accident showed clouds obscuring the ground and the forecast had predicted clouds and fog. In a recorded phone call with an FAA weather station, Nichols was told, “Those clouds may be a problem for you.” “Well, we just fly in between them,” Nichols replied. “We find a hole and we go.” (Was drugs cover story for flying into power lines - much easier to go up or down to miss the lines, harder to hit them deliberately.)
Pilot of crashed hot-air balloon had prior DWI offenses, driver's license suspended
UPI.com - 16 mins ago
The pilot who died along with 15 passengers when his hot-air balloon crashedhad past DWI ...
Pilot of balloon that crashed in Texas had driver's license suspended twice for DWI
San Antonio Express-News - 19 hours ago
Pilot in hot air balloon crash had convictions, complaints - The ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...balloon-crash.../6d8b4f2a-584...
The Washington Post
11 hours ago - The pilot of the hot air balloon that crashed Saturday in Texas had at ... Nichols said his driver's license had been suspended in 2010 for 10 ...
Pilot of balloon that crashed in Texas had driver's license suspended ...
www.mysanantonio.com/.../Pilot-of-balloon-had-driver-s-...
San Antonio Express‑News
9 hours ago - Alfred “Skip” Nichols, the pilot of the hot air balloon that crashed Saturday in Central Texas killing 16 including Nichols, had a number of intoxicated driving offenses in Missouri and, in 2010, had his driver’s license suspended for 10 years. ... That hot air balloon ran out ...
Pilot In Fatal Hot Air Balloon Crash Convicted Of Drunk Driving Four ...
ww.inquisitr.com/.../pilot-in-fatal-hot-air-balloon-crash-convicted-of-drunk-driving...
9 hours ago - The pilot in the fatal hot air balloon crash, Alfred "Skip" Nichols, had ... in 2013, said he had been stripped of his driver's license at least twice, ...
Pilot in Deadly Hot Air Balloon Crash Was Convicted of Drunken ...
www.theblaze.com/.../pilot-in-deadly-hot-air-balloon-crash-was-convicted-o...
TheBlaze
14 hours ago - Police cars block access to the site where a hot air balloon crashed early ... Nichols, who had been stripped of his driver's license at least twice, ...
dating back to 1997. Customers reported to the Better Business Bureau that their rides would get canceled at the last minute and their fees never refunded.
When pilots apply for a ballooning certificate with the Federal Aviation Administration, they are not required to disclose any prior drunken driving convictions, only drug convictions
pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in St. Louis County in 1990, then twice in 2002 and again in 2010, according to online court records.
He was also convicted of a drug crime in 2000 and spent about a year and a half in prison before being paroled. He was returned to prison in April 2010 after his parole was revoked because of his drunken driving conviction that year. He was paroled again in January 2012.
Pilot of balloon that crashed in Texas had driver's license ... - SFGatewww.sfgate.com/.../Pilot-of-balloon-had-driver-s-license-susp...
San Francisco Chronicle
1 hours ago - Alfred “Skip” Nichols, the pilot of the hot air balloon that crashed Saturday in Central Texas killing 16 including Nichols, had a number of ...
The Latest: Texas Balloon Company Suspends Operations - ABC News
abcnews.go.com/US/.../latest-911-caller-thought-balloon-crash-car-fire-41047871
12 hours ago - The Latest on the hot air balloon crash that killed 16 people in Texas ... Alfred "Skip" Nichols, got his commercial pilot's license in Missouri in July ... fatal crash in Texas had at least four drunken-driving convictions in Missouri.
Pilot Was Able to Keep Flying Despite Drunken-Driving Record - ABC ...
abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-balloon-pilot-arrested-dwi-2000-41037987
8 hours ago - The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Texas, killing 16 people, was ... Nichols, who had been stripped of his driver's license at least twice, ...
Company at center of hot air balloon crash suspends operations - CBS ...
www.cbsnews.com/.../company-at-center-of-hot-air-balloon-crash-suspends...
CBS News
13 hours ago - Nichols, who had been stripped of his driver's license at least twice, "couldn't drive a car but he could pilot a hot-air balloon," said an attorney ...
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