Kubicek BB85 accident near Lockhart, TX
On July 30, 2016, a Kubicek BB85 (balloon) was involved in an accident near Lockhart, TX. 16 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 30, 2016
- Place
- Lockhart, TX
- Aircraft
- Kubicek BB85 · Balloon
- Injuries
- 16 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.800°N, 97.600°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160730X25341
Official records · DCA16MA204
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
- Investigation page: status, final report and safety recommendations
Air traffic control records
- Transcript - Public Hearing: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/03. On July 30, 2016, about 0742 central daylight time, a Balóny Kubícek BB85Z hot air balloon, N2469L, operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, struck power lines and crashed in a field near Lockhart, Texas. The pilot and 15 passengers died, and the balloon was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot, and the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a sightseeing passenger flight. The flight originated about 0658, just after sunrise, from Fentress Airpark, Fentress, Texas.
Probable cause
The pilot's pattern of poor decision-making that led to the initial launch, continued flight in fog and above clouds, and descent near or through clouds that decreased the pilot's ability to see and avoid obstacles. Contributing to the accident were (1) the pilot's impairing medical conditions and medications and (2) the Federal Aviation Administration's policy to not require a medical certificate
From Wikipedia
On July 30, 2016, 16 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, 30 miles (50 km) south of the state capital Austin. It is the deadliest ballooning disaster to ever occur in the United States.
Text from Wikipedia, “2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
More accidents in TX
- Robertson C-414, Jul 29, 1982
- Textron Aviation B-300, Jun 30, 2019
- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
- Consolidated-Vultee PBY-6A, Oct 13, 1984
- Douglas DC-3, Dec 31, 1985
Browse: Texas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
