{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://doggett.house.gov/media/press-releases/faa-finally-begins-implementation-doggett-balloon-safety-amendment", "FAA finally begins implementation of Doggett Balloon Safety Amendment", "2021-11-02", "2021", "2021-11", "Democrat", "House", "TX", "Lloyd Doggett", "D000399", "doggett.house.gov", "doggett", "https://doggett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Contact: Kate Stotesbery\n\n202-494-4620\n\nAustin, T.X. \u2013 Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a long-overdue rule today requiring commercial hot-air-balloon pilots to hold medical certificates when operating for hire. The proposed rule belatedly implements balloon safety legislation Rep. Doggett authored that became law in 2018 as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act.\n\nOn July 30, 2016, a commercial balloon took off carrying 16 people near Lockhart, Texas. Piloted by an impaired airman, the balloon struck high transmission power lines and crashed, killing all 16. The Texas crash remains the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since 2009. The NTSB\u2019s investigation found that the FAA\u2019s refusal to require balloon operators to obtain a medical certificate contributed to the Texas tragedy. Despite this warning and Congressional action, passengers on a June 26 commercial balloon flight in Albuquerque, New Mexico were exposed to another impaired pilot. This balloon again hit power lines, killing all on board.\n\nMore than five years after that fatal crash and three years since balloon safety legislation was signed into law, FAA has finally begun the rulemaking process.\n\n\u201cThe action FAA has proposed today comes far too late to bring so many innocent lives back,\u201d said Congressman Doggett. \u201cWhile a welcome step, FAA must move promptly and implement a final rule to ensure no more families will be exposed to the horror of a crash from an impaired pilot.\u201d\n\nRep. Doggett on the floor of the House in 2018.\n\n###\n\nFollow Congressman Doggett", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://doggett.house.gov/media/press-releases/faa-finally-begins-implementation-doggett-balloon-safety-amendment"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7850680742412806, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}