NTSB confirms at least 16 dead in Texas hot-air balloon crash

Associated Press

LOCKHART, Texas

At least 16 people died in the hot air balloon crash in Central Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed today, cautioning that investigators haven’t officially determined the exact number of passengers and what caused the worst such disaster in U.S. history.

NTSB investigators will scrutinize the company that operated the balloon and the pilot, neither of which have been publicly identified. The balloon was operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, according to two officials familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The operation does not appear to be registered with the state of Texas.

Though authorities haven’t publicly identified the pilot, Alan Lirette told the AP that it was Skip Nichols — his best friend, boss and roommate. Nichols, 49, identifies himself on his Facebook page as the chief pilot of Heart of Texas.

Lirette helped launch the balloon, which Nichols was piloting, Lirette said Sunday morning from their shared house in Kyle, Texas. Lirette also said there were 15 people on board — none of them children — plus Nichols. Lirette would not answer specific questions about the balloon’s launch or crash into a pasture Saturday morning near Lockhart, Texas.

“That’s the only thing I want to talk about, is that he’s a great pilot,” Lirette said of Nichols, who also owns Missouri-based Air Balloon Sports LLC. “There’s going to be all kinds of reports out in the press and I want a positive image there too,” he said

NTSB investigators will look at “three things — human, machine and environment” at the site, which is about 30 miles south of Austin, board member Robert Sumwalt said Sunday in Washington, D.C. They’ll look at the aircraft’s maintenance history and weather at the time of the crash, which is one of the worst ever in the world. In February 2013, 19 people died and two people were injured when a balloon caught fire over Luxor, Egypt, and plunged 1,000 feet to the ground.

Federal officials aren’t sure how many people were riding in the balloon, will look into whether the operator filed a passenger manifest before taking off and that balloons do not usually file flight plans, Sumwalt said. Lirette said that several people on board seemed related, because “a lot of last names were the same,” but he didn’t provide specifics. Authorities have not released the names of those who were on board.