Balloon pilot was never grounded due to gap in oversight

The fiery crash Saturday in a pasture in Lockhart, about 50km south of Austin, was the deadliest hot air balloon accident on record in the United States and one of the deadliest ever in the world.

A Texas hot air balloon crash that killed all 16 people on board is focusing attention on the safety of these colorful, floating aircraft — one of history’s oldest forms of aviation. The balloon’s top vent was open at the time of the crash, suggesting pilot Alfred “Skip” Nichols was trying to land, the board said. A former girlfriend described Nichols as a recovering alcoholic. She said he had been sober for at least four years and never piloted a balloon after drinking.

The two San Antonio-area residents were excited about going on the outing together and sent a picture of themselves posing in front of the balloon, she said.

However rare they may seem, hot air balloon crashes do occur, and often times result in serious injury or death.

It said: “The horrific crash near Lockhart, Texas has taken from us our owner and Chief Pilot, Skip Nichols, as well as 15 passengers, all of whom saw what was planned to be a special day turn into an unspeakable tragedy”.

An internal Federal Aviation Administration report urged greater safety oversight of the hot air balloon tour industry two years before the agency’s head rejected similar recommendations from a federal accident investigations board.

The pilot had drunken driving and drug convictions that would probably have blocked him from getting an airline pilot’s license, The Associated Press reports – but there are less stringent licensing requirements for balloon pilots. In July 2008, the Better Business Bureau reported that it had received eight complaints about the company in the previous two years.

The FAA does not require balloon operators to disclose DWI convictions when they initially apply for a license, as it does with airplane and helicopter pilots.

A member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Robert Sumwalt, criticized what he called a “disparity” in the FAA requirements for balloon operators compared to plane or helicopter pilots.

In 2000, he pleaded guilty to a drug-related charge and spent time in prison, according to criminal records.

Nichols was in charge of the balloon that crashed into high tension power lines near the town of Lockhart on Saturday. Sixteen people died in the crash.

Nadolny said her brother posted a photo on social media saying he and his wife were about to go on a balloon ride and giving the same launch location as the one used for the ride that crashed.

Brian surprised Tessie with “a trip to watch the sunrise by hot air balloon” for their wedding anniversary, according to the fund-raising page. The balloon traveled about 8 miles before crashing, and the basket was found about three-quarters of a mile from the balloon itself. But Nichols was identified as the pilot by his friend and roommate Alan Lirette, who said Nichols was a good pilot. And what does it take to “drive” them?

Several of Nichols’ drunken driving convictions, as well as his drug crime conviction, happened after he’d been licensed as a balloon pilot. Do the consumers truly know the actual risks involved with flying in a balloon or are they just trusting that the federal government has taken certain actions to assure safety? NTSB officials, who are investigating the crash, said the balloon hit high-tension wires before exploding into a fireball. “He called it a controlled landing”.

When a hot air balloon crash occurs, the first thing on the minds of victims and their family members is who is at fault.