Six Years Since Lockhart Balloon Tragedy: FAA Finally Implements Doggett’s Safety Law in Memory of Those Lost

Austin, TX – Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) released the following reaction to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally implementing the safety law he authored and passed in 2018 to require commercial hot-air balloon pilots to hold medical certificates when flying paying passengers:

“Almost six and a half years after the Lockhart tragedy from an impaired pilot, a full four years after passage of our law to ensure such tragedies cannot repeat, now, the law is finally in full force. The FAA inexcusably delayed and delayed for years, even after we wrote this requirement into a law, which was explicit. Now, thankfully, we finally have action.

Passage of my passenger safety bill was the result of the dedicated work of the families and all who petitioned for this belated action. For the many who prayed and mourned the loss resulting from this unnecessary tragedy, know that you have been heard. We cannot bring these precious lives back. But, now that this is finally implemented, we hope no more families will be exposed to the horror of a crash from an impaired pilot.”

July 30^th of this year marked six years since 16 lives were lost in the Lockhart hot air balloon crash—when a pilot flying under the influence crashed into a power line, leaving no survivors. This was the deadliest commercial balloon crash in our history, and the worst aviation disaster in America since 2009. For years following the crash, Rep. Doggett pressed the FAA to improve balloon safety by implementing a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation to mandate medical certificates for commercial pilots, since the NTSB found that the FAA’s refusal to require balloon operators to obtain a medical certificate contributed to the crash on July 30, 2016. The FAA failed to take action on their own, so Rep. Doggett worked to pass bipartisan legislation to do so.

Even after Rep. Doggett secured a law in memory of those lost in 2018 with this requirement, the FAA took four years yet to implement the Doggett amendment, exposing more to death. Last September, during the period of bureaucratic delay, four passengers died in Albuquerque after an impaired pilot crashed a balloon into power lines.

The FAA belatedly began the rulemaking process in November 2021 and issued the final rule last week. Rep. Doggett’s amendment passed in 2018; he delivered remarks on the House Floor, which can be found here. He also released this video message for constituents and for victims’ families upon House passage, viewable here.

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