Lockhart, TX – Federal officials say there is evidence that some part of the hot air balloon hit electrical wires before crashing, killing 16 on board.
Robert Sumwalt with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a news conference that the sheriff said it was foggy after Saturday morning’s accident, but that it wasn’t clear what the weather was like during the flight itself.
It traveled about 8 miles from takeoff to crash. The basket was found about three-quarters of a mile from the balloon material itself.
The balloon fell in a pasture Saturday morning near Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin. The crash site was near a row of high-tension power lines, and aerial photos showed an area of scorched land underneath. One witness described seeing a “fireball” near the power lines.
Sumwalt said the power line was tripped was at 7:42 a.m., and the first call to 911 came a minute later.
It is the deadliest such accident in U.S. history.
As reported by Vos Iz Neias