Pilot of deadly hot air balloon crash had DWI, was flagged by the Better Business Bureau

The pilot of the deadly Texas crash that killed 16 people on Saturday had pleaded guilty to a DWI felony in 2002 after his arrest in 2000 and the Better Business Bureau had flagged his company after customer complaints.

Alfred "Skip" Nichols, 49, was described to the press by friends and acquaintances as being "a good pilot and a very friendly guy." Nichols' roommate, Alan Lirette, said, "That's the only thing I want to talk about, is that he's a great pilot."

Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the names of the people on board, although Lirette told The Associated Press Nichols was piloting the balloon. The balloon crashed into power lines in central Texas, killing all on board.

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