A HOT AIR BALLOON LIFTED OFF INTO THE PATH OF ANOTHER BALLOON OVERHEAD. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE.

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I WAS PLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. I LAUNCHED UPWIND OF A SECOND BALLOON. JUST AFTER I LAUNCHED; THE SECOND BALLOON LAUNCHED AS WELL. I HAD OBTAINED WIND SPD AS THE SECOND BALLOON'S ENVELOPE LIFTED INTO MY FLT PATH. A MINOR TEAR (6 INCHES) IN THE SECOND BALLOON WAS CAUSED BY MY BASKET. THE DAMAGE WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME AT THE TIME. AS A PRECAUTION; THE SECOND BALLOON ABORTED HIS FLT. I CONTINUED ON FOR A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL FLT; A NORMAL LNDG AND RECOVERY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MARGINAL WINDS 5-6 KTS. THE CLUB (BALLOON CLUB) WAS HOLDING A TASK EVENT THAT WAS MOVED DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WIND DIRECTION. PRIOR TO THAT DECISION; I HAD LAID OUT MY ENVELOPE AND REPACKED IT; SO I WAS IN A BIT OF A RUSH. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ALTERNATE LAUNCH SITE; I WAS BEHIND THE OTHER CREWS (MIND SET). THE ONLY APPARENT LAUNCH SITE WAS NEXT TO A BUILDING; BUT THERE WAS ADEQUATE ROOM. AS WE (CREW) BEGAN TO INFLATE; THE WINDS WERE BEGINNING TO BE MORE APPARENT. THE INFLATION WAS NORMAL. I CALLED FOR THE CREW TO PUT WT ON THE BASKET AND REQUESTED 2 PAX TO ENTER THE BASKET. IN MY HASTE TO INFLATE; I DID NOT INSTALL MY SAFETY INFLATION HARNESS. THIS BECAME APPARENT WHEN ONE OF THE INEXPERIENCED CREW LET GO OF THE BASKET TO GET HER CAMERA. THE BASKET BEGAN MOVING. AT THAT TIME; THE DOWNWIND BALLOON HAD NOT LIFTED OFF. SECONDS LATER HIS CREW LET HIM GO AND MY BASKET CONTACTED HIS ENVELOPE IN THE UPPER SECTION. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT IT LOOKED LIKE A MINOR INCIDENT; I SAW NO DAMAGE. I WAS LATER TOLD OF A TEAR OF 6 INCHES AND A SECOND SMALL HOLE THAT 'MAY HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE.' AT THE TIME I DECIDED TO LAUNCH; THE DOWNWIND BALLOON WAS ON THE GND; I JUDGED I WOULD HAVE ROOM TO SAFELY LAUNCH. THE WIND SHIFTED AS I LEFT THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING DIRECTING MY BALLOON INTO THE SECOND BALLOON. FALSE LIFT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY FLT PATH BEING MORE SHALLOW THAN PROJECTED. NOT OBSERVING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR LAUNCHING WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR; NO SAFETY HARNESS WAS ANOTHER CONTRIBUTOR; INEXPERIENCED CREW AND MOST IMPORTANTLY PLT ATTITUDE.