Rep. Doggett’s Hot Air Balloon Pilot Safety Amendment Approved
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett's (D-TX) hot air balloon pilot safety amendment, was approved as a part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. Rep. Doggett's amendment is designed to prevent more tragedies similar to the fatal hot air balloon crash that killed 16 people near Lockhart in 2016. He delivered remarks on the House Floor, which can be found here.
Rep. Doggett also said, "The FAA should have corrected this long ago. Now with adoption of this amendment, I am hopeful that no other family will ever suffer the same horror as this tragedy near Lockhart."
2016's hot air balloon crash was the deadliest aviation disaster since 2009. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the FAA's refusal to require balloon operators to obtain a medical certificate contributed to the Caldwell County crash. Rep. Doggett's approved amendment ends this exemption to ensure no more families risk injury or death from an impaired pilot.
In his remarks, Rep. Doggett pointed to the photograph below, which illustrates what was left after the accident. In October 2017, the NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt said, "I am disappointed that the FAA appears to be shirking its responsibility."
Rep. Doggett also spoke on his amenment on the House Floor yesterday, which can be found here.
Photo: NTSB Report