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Official: Hot Air Balloon Likely Hit Electrical Wires Before Crash In Texas

LOCKHART, Texas (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Federal officials said Sunday that there is evidence that some part of the hot air balloon hit electrical wires before crashing, killing 16 on board.

The crash happened Saturday morning in a pasture near Lockhart, which is about 30 miles south of Austin.

Robert Sumwalt with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a news conference that the sheriff said it was foggy after Saturday morning's accident, but that it wasn't clear what the weather was like during the flight itself.

It traveled about 8 miles from takeoff to crash. The basket was found about three-quarters of a mile from the balloon material itself.

The balloon fell in a pasture Saturday morning near Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin. The crash site was near a row of high-tension power lines, and aerial photos showed an area of scorched land underneath. One witness described seeing a ``fireball'' near the power lines.

Sumwalt said the power line was tripped was at 7:42 a.m., and the first call to 911 came a minute later.

Sumwalt also said a fire expert will help investigate the crash.

Meanwhile, as CBS News' Omar Villafranca reported, a coworker identified the pilot for the balloon as Skip Nichols, 49.

Hot air balloon passenger Steve Brudniak recorded video from a previous flight above the clouds. He has flown with Nichols twice before.

"The balloon operator can pretty much only go up or down," he said. "There's a few things he can pull to kind of spin the balloon."

Late Sunday, the area where the crash happened was being treated like a crime scene as investigators worked to learn the identities of the victims.

Investigators recovered 14 electronic devices, but some were destroyed.

They planned to talk with representatives from the balloon company on Monday.

The balloon accident this weekend was the deadliest such accident in U.S. history and among the deadliest in the world.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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