KSAT - Doggett: Hot Air Balloon Industry Needs Oversight; 'Many Lives in Danger'

News Article

By Isis Romero

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett on Friday criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for refusing his request to increase oversight of the hot air balloon industry.

"Many lives are in danger every day," Doggett, a Democrat, said in response to the FAA's decision.

Doggett, whose congressional district includes the part of rural Caldwell County near Lockhart where 16 people died in a balloon crash on July 30, pointed out that the FAA continues to ignore a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation from early 2014 that called on the federal agency to increase balloon regulations.

The NTSB made a follow-up request to the FAA to reconsider the recommendation in March, four months before the fatal crash.

July's accident was the worst hot air balloon crash in U.S. history.

"The safety experts said, 'FAA, if you don't act, people will die.' And as a result, we lost six wonderful people from the San Antonio area and a total of 15 and the operator," Doggett said.

In a letter sent to Doggett last week, FAA administrator Michael Huerta said the agency will wait for the NTSB to finish its full investigation of the Lockhart crash before possibly introducing new safety recommendations.

The investigation could take another 16 months to be completed.

Among Doggett's recommendations are requirements for hot air balloon pilots to begin filing flight manifests.

Doggett said investigators had difficulty identifying victims in the July crash because no official list of passengers existed.

He said balloon pilots need to be held to a higher standard.

Skip Nichols, a pilot, was able to get a hot air balloon license despite multiple DWI convictions and a history of substance abuse.

Had Nichols been an aircraft or helicopter pilot, he would have had to disclose the arrests on his FAA medical application.

Doggett said balloons should be required to maintain an airworthiness certificate and carry a higher insurance policy.

He revealed Friday that the balloon in July's crash was covered by a $1 million insurance policy, which the congressman said does not begin to compensate the families of the passengers who were killed.

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