HOT AIR BALLOON BLOWN AWAY BY GUST OF WIND DURING BALLOON DEFLATION.

Narrative

DURING NORMAL DEFLATION OF MY BALLOON; WE WERE STRUCK BY A SEVERE WIND GUST. AT THE TIME THE GUST HIT; THE BALLOON WAS BTWN 1/2 TO 2/3 DEFLATED. THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET WERE BOTH ON THE GND WITH THE DEFLATION HARNESS ATTACHED TO THE BALLOON AND MY CHASE TRUCK. AT THIS TIME I WAS OUT OF THE BASKET PULLING ON THE 'RED LINE' TO ENSURE THAT THE TOP WAS OUT AND AWAY. IT WAS THEN THAT WE WERE HIT BY THE WIND GUST. THE GUST WAS SO STRONG THAT IT STARTED MOVING THE BALLOON; DRAGGING THE BASKET AND TRUCK. THERE WAS 1 CREW MEMBER ON THE CROWN LINE AND 2 OTHERS ON THE BASKET. I WAS STILL HOLDING ONTO AND BEING PULLED BY THE 'RED LINE.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER; THE INFLATION HARNESS FAILED AND THE BALLOON PICKED UP SPD. I KNEW THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD THE BALLOON DOWN. I INSTRUCTED MY CREW TO LET GO AND GET CLR OF THE BALLOON. I LET GO OF THE 'RED LINE' AS SOON AS I SAW THE CREW CLR. THE BALLOON AND BASKET LIFTED INTO THE AIR TO ABOUT 50-60 FT; THEN DROPPED DOWN AND HIT PWR LINES; THEN FLIPPED OVER THE LINES AND CAME TO REST IN A DRIVEWAY BTWN 2 HOUSES.