Pilot of hot air balloon that crashed into power lines and killed 16 people on board had taken several drugs before flight
Alfred Nichols had been convicted five times and had been stripped of driving licence but was able to keep flying licence
THE pilot of a hot air balloon which burst into flames after hitting power lines, killing all 16 people on board, had taken several drugs just before.
Depressed diabetic Alfred Nichols, 49, gulped painkillers and sedatives which can hit brain function and motor controls.
They were among 13 medicines he was on.
The failures were revealed in documents released prior to a National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the accident on Friday.
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The hot air balloon controlled by Nicholls, 49, struck the electricity lines mid-flight, burst into flames and plunged to the ground killing all on board. It was the highest death toll in a single US aviation accident since 50 died in a 2009 commuter plane crash near Buffalo, New York.
Victims, some of whom posted photos on social media of the view from the balloon minutes before the crash, included a mother and daughter taking a Sunday morning flight as part of a Mother's Day gift.
The probe found Nichols suffered multiple medical problems including type II diabetes, depression and chronic pain from fibromyalgia syndrome and should not have been operating an aircraft.
He was taking 13 prescription medicines - many of which are banned for pilots at the controls.
Balloon pilots are exempt from having to receive periodic medical check ups required for other commercial flight crews, the hearing was told.
Nichols - who served two prison terms for drug and alcohol violations - decision to fly on that morning were also criticized.
The balloon was only supposed to fly in clear conditions but photos taken on the aircraft shortly before the accident showed clouds obscuring the ground and the forecast predicted clouds and fog.
In a recorded call with an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) weather station Nichols was told: "Those clouds may be a problem for you". He replied: ";Well, we just fly in between them. We find a hole and we go".
The panel of six balloon industry representatives at the hearing all said they would not have flown that day based on the weather report Nichols received.
NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt said at the hearing: "The ultimate goal of this investigation is to learn from this tragedy so that we can keep it from happening again".
