A hot air balloon carrying 16 people caught fire and crashed in a field in Texas early Saturday. The accident occurred just before 7:40 a.m. in Lockhart, Texas, about 35 miles south of Austin, Texas.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were at the scene investigating the cause of the crash. An NTSB official said there were no survivors.
Pictures taken at the scene show the charred basket laying on the ground directly below high voltage power lines that span the field.
A propane tank attached to the basket (below the balloon) likely exploded when the basket struck the high voltage line.
A homeowner near the scene told a reporter she was letting her dog out into the yard when she heard several loud pops. She looked up and saw the hot air balloon descending with the basket on fire. The flames were at least 4 stories high, nearly reaching the balloon.
The woman said she occasionally sees hot air balloons in the area.
According to hot air aficionados, hot air balloons are usually flown in the morning when the air is cooler to give the balloon more lift.
Multiple news outlets linked to old videos of past hot air balloon accidents. There is no video of today’s tragedy in Texas.
