Lockhart

LOCKHART, Texas (AP) — If Alfred "Skip" Nichols had been a commercial airplane pilot, he probably would have been grounded long ago. Nichols, the pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed over the weekend in Texas, killing 16, kept flying despite having at least four convictions for drunken driving and twice spending time in prison — pointing to gaps in oversight of hot air balloon pilots.

As officials continue to investigate a hot air balloon crash that claimed 16 lives in Lockhart, Texas Saturday, emerging details about the deceased pilot's past are raising questions about the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of balloon operators...