Posted on 07/30/2016 9:13:24 AM PDT by gop4lyf
Federal officials said a hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas on Saturday. Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said there doesn't appear to be any survivors.
"The balloon was occupied and it does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash," Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law said in a statement. "Investigators are determining the number and the identities of victims at this time." Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the accident happened about 8:40 a.m. Saturday near Lockhart, Texas, when the hot air balloon crashed into a pasture.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcdfw.com ...
That photo is of a New Zealand crash on January 12, 2014.
The balloon apparently made contact with a power line, caught fire, broke free, ascended, and then came back down after the burning balloon lost lift.
Drudge's image is the last of a series. You can see some of the rest here.
The current balloon definitely ended up at a power line. So, the most likely hypothesis is that the fire resulted from contact with the power line.
I heard a balloon pilot interviewed in the current case. He had only just heard about it and couldn't offer specifics. But he was horrified that anyone would go up with 16 people. He said it's much harder to pilot a heavy balloon because the balloon's response to heat input is much slower.
Which was that?
Don't use hydrogen for lift? Or, if you do, don't leak it into the ventilation ducts and mix it with air? Or, if you do that, make sure there's no static electricity to ignite it?
They were not using hydrogen for lift. They were using hot air for lift. That's why it's called a hot-air balloon.
Have they released the names yet? I only ask, as it’s a Saturday and my first thought was “bridal party” arriving or leaving from ceremony.
Prayers for the victims and their families.
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