Reckless Pilot Crashes Hot Air Balloon Into Power Lines | Short Documentary 

►Thanks for watching, check out me other bits! ►My new EP: madebyjohn.bandcamp.com/album/retail-simulator ►Outro Song: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RbpmJJXqSPg.htmlsi=2_i6bKZUj3bjixzw ►Instagram: instagram.com/plainly.john/ ►Patreon: www.patreon.com/Plainlydifficult ►Merch: plainly-difficult.creator-spring.com ►Twitter:twitter.com/Plainly_D ►Sauces Used to Cook this video: www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-mandates-medical-requirements-commercial-balloon-pilots#:~:text=%E2%80%9CPassengers%20can%20now%20rest%20assured,exempt%20from%20the%20medical%20requirement. www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR1703.pdf

I don’t have a fear of heights. I have a fear of being burned to death in a hot air balloon when the burner and propane tanks explode.

Getting into a wicker basket suspended by ropes from an airborne, un-steerable, and flammable envelope of hot gas heated by a huge, open flame fueled by pressurized propane never struck me as a good idea under ANY circumstances.

oh. that was odd to encounter this morning. my first boyfriend died in this. respectful job, no shade intended, just strange feeling.

Two sedatives AND a stimmy? Like, daily? Geeze, man was subjecting himself to multiple G forces

The thing is. That they don't make good cassette players anymore

His failure to get his balloon's yearly inspection tells me his long term decision making is no better than his short term.

In 2015, about a year before this happened, I took my ex-wife and myself as a gift to her on this exact balloon with this pilot. I still have pics of the smiley face balloon being filled and then pics up in the wicker basket. I still lived in San Antonio at the time I heard of this accident, just freaky to know that this happened in the exact same basket and on the same balloon you were in one year earlier.

I have spinal injuries, and am on medication that would impair my ability to drive. So I've given up driving, voluntarily. I really couldn't live with myself if I hurt someone.

This pilot the primary rule for fun flying: It's better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than up there wishing you weren't.

Some details were omitted that are important to cover. First, he was not the only pilot meeting passengers that morning, this pilot and 5 other pilots met, reviewed the weather, and the other 5 cancelled their flights because they knew those conditions would generate fog. This pilot went against more experienced pilot’s recommendations to say on the ground. Next, even though this was a 1 man operation, he was playing games with the FAA to stay in business. He transferred ownership of the balloon and the company to his mother in Florida. As far as the FAA knew, he no longer had a balloon or a ride business. His mother ran the website and the bookings for rides from Florida. Third, this pilot was seeing three different doctors an MD in Texas, an MD in Missouri, and a psychiatrist in Missouri. None of these doctors knew about each other, their recommendations, or prescriptions written. Many of the drugs in his system would have prevented him from obtaining a medical certificate if required. Even if he had a medical certificate, nothing would have stropped him from going out what he did and killing everyone in the basket. Ironically, he hit the ONLY high voltage line running through that part of Texas, had he stayed aloft and additional 10 to 15 minutes the fog would have parted and he would have been able to make a normal landing in VFR conditions. In fact, by the time emergency crews arrived weather conditions were VFR. He was not a responsible pilot or a conscientious pilot, only someone concerned about skirting the rules to make money. This man, single-handedly ruined ballooning for all of the rule abiding aviators. It doesn’t matter that he was a balloon pilot, his attitude would have been dangerous in gliders, helicopters, or airplanes.

My wife had purchased a flight for us with this same company that same year as an anniversary celebration. We attempted to go on several earlier flights during the spring and summer, but they were all canceled early in the morning because of cloudy weather. I don’t recall why we didn’t try to go on this one, but turned out to be a good thing.

There's a surprising amount of cassette enthusiasts out there. Techmoan springs to mind.

FAA before: _"I do not care."_ FAA after: _"WTF BRO!"_

So me, who drove non-CDL trucks and hauled cargo, had to have a DOT medical certification, but a guy who takes people up in the air in a balloon doesn't. Makes sense.

hot air balloons have always seemed shady to me, this just seals the deal

I'm 87 and I'm glad i lived long enough to see this video. Thank you.

For anyone curious powerlines are still very dangerous without even having a ground due to the phase to phase voltage. For a normal 7.2kV line phase-to-phase voltage is 12,470V. So you can be electrocuted without even touching something that's grounded. This is what caused the fire. The lines they hit were transmission lines well over 100kV.

Where I live the thieves have a nasty habit of stealing hot air balloons. I don't know who would buy a stolen ballon, seems really silly.

When it got to listing his “prescription” 🤣 bloke was off his face

I did the flight medical for my private single engine fixed wing license and I had forgotten that a medical wasn't needed for a hot air balloon pilot. That is a HUGE mistake. I hate to see more of the "tombstone regulation" stories, but sadly it seems to be the world we live in. Most of the little I knew about hot air balloons was that we always gave way for them, I didn't need to know more.

The pilot was flying higher than his balloon

I use your bingo card every time my boss comes up with a new plan. I usually get 4-5 stamped.

Bupropion is also used to reduce smoking. He seems to have a strange mix of drugs, and who now’s the effect of the combination. Maybe he was just naturally impulsive and a risk taker.

A sunny Saturday and another Plainly Difficult video? What a way to end the week! 😁

If I had a nickel for every balloon disaster involving a nickel, id still be broke

I took part in a hot air ballon tour. The date was moved a lot because of all kind of problems (mostly weather). It was like standing on a balcony. There was no wind because the ballon moved with the wind. It was not cold because the air in the ballon had to be heated from time to time. It wasn't really what I had expected. But all went well.

My boyfriend once started talking at the end and I had to yell at him to shut up because I always want to knkw what the weather is doing in your corner. fyi, in sydney it is raining.

Whooo! Double upload week! That aside, I always like how you make reports of these incidents so easily digestible

There is a lot to this story that is missing. Hot air ballooning is a VERY SMALL community. It's almost impossible to fly a hot air balloon and be "anonymous." A hot air balloon is designed to stick out! Here is what I don't understand: Even before his first balloon lesson, he would have needed a student medical to start training and it would have been made aware to him at that time that most over-the-counter drugs (and prescription) cannot by used while flying. If he then got both his private balloon pilot and commercial balloon pilot certificates, there were instructors who needed to sign him off to take his checkrides, and FAA designated pilot examiners to sign off his certificates, not to mention periodic flight reviews. Was this pilot a role model of safety until he got his commercial certificate and then threw the manual out the basket, so to speak? Also, in the US, a commercial balloon rating is a flight instructor rating for balloons: he would be tested on the flight instructor curriculum in addition to the commercial pilot curriculum, and expected to know the regulations pretty much by heart to be able to teach them to others. Also, what about the chase crew--how could they observe such flagrant violations of the regulations and not say anything, or did he go out of his way to get a chase crew that was totally oblivious to what the regulations are? All hot air balloon pilots I know are safety-conscious, hold regular safety seminars, and are on a first-name basis with the safety representative at the local FSDO. How could anybody not notice a pattern of misbehavior or know about it and not say anything? And using high-tech gadgets to keep in touch with the ground crew instead of reliable a two-way radio? How many warning signs were ignored before this tragedy?

If it doesn't have positive control surfaces, I'm not getting on it. End

Your pronouncement of the meds was spot on!

WTF?!?!? He was on uppers AND downers. Wonderful.

Man you're so close to 1 million! Been watching you for years now mr Plainly and your crude illustrations and atypical gait make you a true gem when more and more AI content finds its way into the algorithm. Please keep up the awesome work!

Oh my gosh, an actual cassette tape. I didn't know you could still make them! I miss my old boombox, man, you have no idea. CDs, radio, _dual_ cassette player... gosh it was amazing. It would be fantastic to listen to cassettes again.

As someone who takes cyclobenzaprine as a muscle relaxant for fibromyalgia... I can't imagine trying to function during the day while on it. Geez.

Glad you specified which Texas. For a minute there I thought it might be Texas, Angola.

I was watching "Why buildings collapse" on BBC the other day about the Champlain Towers collapse... ... I looked well smart in front of my friends thanks to your video about it 😁

Good morning Johnny thank you for making my Saturday even better.

Way to keep the Nostalgia alive with the cassette tapes and a double double bonus for you because yellow is an amazing color for a cassette

I work in Austin and remember waking up to this news story! I'm morbidly excited to see you cover this one, while I'm sad for the poor customers who took they're last electrifying joyride. I remember how my friends and I discussed how it was sad but not...erm, shocking. Thanks for the incredible background research.

i would possible mark off “time pressure” on the bingo card since as mentioned many of the occupants had previous balloon trips cancelled due to poor weather conditions. the pilot likely felt a sense of pressure to make good in the flight this time as to not disappoint passengers further.

Hot air baloon pilot? More like passenger-in-command.

Hey man this is America! We drunk drive! Good work!

How was that guy even standing up? Funny that I have had to prove for years that my high blood pressure is under control in order to retain my Commercial Drivers License. I could have flown balloons and been pumped out of my gourd instead. (Thoughts and opinions by me; worth about a nickel and available on cassette. I still have my Tascam 202 MkII for good measure).

The pilot sounded like a walking pharmacy

what does a student pilot do when he washes out of pilot school? ... becomes a hot air balloon operator🤣

John: "... as the company behind the disaster, The Heart of Texas, was a one-man operation." My brain, automatically: "I guess 'shift change' won't be a factor this time, then."

This reminds me of an accident that happened years back when I still lived between my parent’s home and my apartment during college. During a longer than usual break, I was staying at my parent’s and some dude with a motorized paraglider crashed into the powerlines of a power substation. Thankfully he didn’t die but the damage costs were quite severe for business as it was one of the hottest months of the year and the power was down for a significant chunk of the town for about 10 hours or so, between accident, rescue and retrieval of the paraglider totaled junk and restoring the damaged high voltage cables it damaged.

Two PD uploads in one week? Hallelujah!

As always, great to see your videos!

Hey, my Nan was from Guildford! Lovely little town, but you're right, it is a bit sleepy. Especially for a kid raised in Orlando, Florida. I always loved how quiet Guildford is, honestly.

Another great video John 👏

I have never been this early on a Plainly Difficult video! Love your content!

While failing to meet the balloon inspection on schedule had nothing to do with the accident, it is indicative of the willingness of the operator to ignore safety protocols which as we see spread to other areas.

I went on a hot air balloon ride once and it was spectacular. However, after having seen several disaster videos involving them, I don't think I'll ever do it again.

My friend’s mom has a hot air balloon and at one of the competitions another pilot hit the powerlines and his grandson and him had to jump out of the balloon. But it didn’t stop me from going up a couple times. It’s so serene.

2 in 2 days? Jon is spoiling us.

Two of those meds are often used to treat ADHD, but in combination with a sedative? Wtf?

Thanks, John!

Always wait for your weekly weather reports

No way id ever get in a hot air balloon! They are terrifying

Good pronunciations on the meds.

And this is why regulations exist!

Absolutely awesome video like we’ve came to enjoy from you ! Ty

Love your videos ❤

I remember hearing of this as i went off for my first semester of college in Texas;this event made me adamant that I will never ride a hot air ballon.

You went to Surrey University? Same here. I lived in Guildford for a while, too. You probably know about Rubix and the restaurant called Chancellors (nicknamed 'Channies'). A notable attraction in Guildford was the 'Bearded Lady' who you could often see around North Street.

Watching these big balloons being inflated in person is a pretty awesome experience, I've seen it a couple times. I would NEVER fly in one however.

Whatever you changed in the audio for this video, its great.

That’s one hell of a dry cocktail

Watching this from a different part of the surprising sunny London wondering if I mite see an aurora tonight...

That must have been a horrific scene.

Sorry to hear you used to live in Guildford

Great episode as always! What’s wrong with your voice, John? You sounded like you were smoking for weeks, lol 😂

I enjoy your channel so much. I was in a hot air balloon accident. Thank God we all survived.

I have a flight scheduled for the end of the month, while my mom is in town. I probably shouldn't watch this video, but I will.

The stocton rush of hot air balloons

So he was on Wellbutrin, cyclobenzaprine (back pain, probably), Valium, Ritalin, and hillbilly heroin (again, probably back pain). Just being on Ritalin alone disqualifies you from being a pilot. Hell, even an ADHD diagnosis disqualifies you from flying at all. I can’t imagine benzos + SSRI + amphetamines + opioids can result in good decision-making. The interactions alone would be crazy.

Would add time pressure (you mentioned the passengers had had flights cancelled before), Overly confident official (the Pilot didn't even bother to check the weather and assumed everything would be fine).

Clearly that power line pulled out in front of the balloon deliberately! ;)

I've been prescribed all of the drugs the guy was on- not all at once though. Mixing that all together.... that's a pretty potent recipe.

I guess the driver's head must've been in the clouds to let this happen unfortunately

One of the most peaceful flights I've ever been on was a hot air balloon ride. Went out of Phoenix, Arizona.

Yay new vid !

I'm so scared of heights that a step ladder makes me cringe. But somehow I'm perfectly fine in an airplane.

This wasn't even the worst! On 26 February 2013, a hot air balloon crashed near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 out of the 21 people on board.

My girlfriend was with a girl while her parents went on a mini 2nd honeymoon flight on a hot air balloon and they were watching the news together when she found out she was an orphan because of this accident... I cannot imagine what that could have been like. My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this avoidable accident.

It’s not the fall that kills you. It’s that sudden stop at the bottom

I just wanted to say I gave your music a listen. Its top notch. Thank you john, from a currently perfectly clear corner of Canada. (Also what is your stance on use in videos?)

Interesting it seems like the pilot was taking a mix of uppers and downers along with bad choices

Thank you.

So glad you posted this after the hot air balloon festival, I would have chickened out and stayed home if you posted this last week.

Overly Confident Officials also would count, since FAA's exemption for balloon pilots was withdrawn.

I remember when this was on the news. I never knew what happened tho. RiP 🕊

I don't like the primary focus being on the medical aspect. The fact that the pilot was also the business owner, and several flights had already been canceled, I think is enough to cause an unmedicated pilot to accept unnecessary risk for the sake of their business.

John, your full of hot air on this one.

I love how the ntsb always comes in and monday morning quarterbacks the faa. "This should have been done that shouldnt have been allowed". Hey ntsb, you have all the relevant information BEFORE the accident. Why didnt you say then "hey you should change that before some idiot has more pills in his system than not crashes a hot air balloon into some powerlines killing everyone aboard"?

Hot air balloons are like pretty things to look at but not ride.

funny you should mention, because my band, The Jephries, just released a single yesterday! It's called Song for a Deadman, iffn' ya wanna look it up. there may even be some cassettes still available :-D