Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and Maxwell firefighters responded about 7:40 a.m. Saturday to a report of a vehicle crash at Jolly Road north of Cistern Road near Maxwell, Texas. Sheriff’s deputies first on the scene reported they discovered the basket portion of a hot air balloon with apparently no survivors on board.
Federal officials say a hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas, and it is unclear whether there are injuries or deaths. As of 11:15 a.m. Saturday the exact number of people on board was not confirmed, but early reports indicated 16 people were on board.
The hot air balloon crashed into a pasture.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board responded to the scene to investigate.
Maxwell, Texas is about 30 miles south of Austin.
Authorities say a hot air balloon caught on fire and crashed near Lockhart, Texas, which is about 30 miles from Austin. At least 16 people were in the balloon, and officials say it doesn’t appear that anyone survived. Former NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker and hot air balloon pilot Danny Stone join CBSN to discuss the crash.
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A large hot-air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught fire in flight and crashed in a central Texas pasture, the Federal Aviation Administration said.