The Latest: NTSB Says Benadryl Impaired Balloon Operator

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Investigators say the pilot of a Texas hot air balloon that crashed and killed 16 people flew with enough Benadryl in his system to have the equivalent blood-alcohol level of a drunken driver.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Tuesday at a hearing in Washington that pilot Alfred "Skip" Nichols also took sedatives and opioids that likely affected his decision-making during the July 2016 flight.

The balloon hit high-tension power lines before crashing into a pasture near Austin. It was the worst hot-air balloon disaster in U.S. history.

Investigators say Nichols was told during a weather briefing before the flight that clouds may be a problem. But he allegedly replied, "we just fly in between them."

Nichols had at least four convictions for drunken driving and twice spent time in prison.