KUBICEK BB85Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides
Lockhart, TX, USA · 2016-07-30·N2469L
What happened
NTSB summary, verbatimThe 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 Board's determinationThe 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 for commercial balloon pilots.
Occurrence sequence
1 stepsNTSB coding · CICTT taxonomy- 1 · ApproachControlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)defining event
Findings
5 causal · 0 contributing- CAUSEPersonnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment — Pilot
- CAUSEEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Fog — Decision related to condition
- CAUSEPersonnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication — Pilot
- CAUSEPersonnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illness/injury — Pilot
- CAUSEOrganizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of personnel — FAA/Regulator
Safety recommendations
2 issuedwhat changed because of this accidentTO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: Remove the medical certification exemption in 14 Code of Federal Regulations 61.23(b) for pilots who are exercising their privileges as commercial balloon pilots and are receiving compensation for transporting passengers.
TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: Analyze your current policies, procedures, and tools for conducting oversight of commercial balloon operations in accordance with your Integrated Oversight Philosophy, taking into account the findings of this accident; based on this analysis, develop and implement more effective ways to target oversight of the operators and operations that pose the most significant safety risks to the public. (Supersedes Safety Recommendations A-14-011 and A-14-012)
NTSB analysis
from the final reportThe 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.