On July 30, 2016, sixteen people were killed when the hot air balloon they were riding in struck power lines, crashed and caught fire in the unincorporated community of Maxwell, near Lockhart, Texas, 30 miles (50 km) south of the state capital Austin.

Prior to the accident, the balloon's operator had at least four convictions for drunk driving and two incarcerations, conditions that would have prevented him from obtaining a medical flight certificate, should they had been required at the time.

[18] On August 1, Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, whose owner died in the accident, announced that it would be suspending operations.

[24] On April 25, 2018 Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett successfully introduced an amendment to incorporate the NTSB's recommendations for balloon operators as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act.

[25] Five months later on September 27, 2018, the House of Representatives approved the legislation mandating medical exams for commercial balloon pilots as part of federal law.

[26] Despite being written into federal law, it would not be until 2022 before the Federal Aviation Administration formally adopted rules requiring pilots of sightseeing operations and hot air balloons that carry paying customers to hold a medical certificate and to pass medical examinations, as required by commercial airplane and helicopter pilots.