A HOT AIR BALLOON HIT PWR LINES ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT.

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I WAS ON AN APCH TO LAND APPROX TREETOP AND ROOF TOP LEVEL. I HAD BRIEFED THE PAX AND WAS ONLY CONCENTRATING ON BRINGING THE BALLOON DOWN (BRIEFING HAD OCCURRED APPROX 10 MINS EARLIER). I WAS AWARE OF 2 DIFFERENT SETS OF PWR LINES; A BUILDING; AND ITS PARKING LOTS BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE BUILDING. MY FLT PATH CONTINUED OVER THE BUILDING TO THE PARKING LOT IN BACK; IT APPEARED WITHOUT OBSTACLES. I VENTED; WE WERE ON THE GND AND THEN I HEARD A NOISE. UNTIL THAT MOMENT; I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LINES. I NEVER SAW THEM. MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO TELL THE PAX TO GET DOWN AND I PROCEEDED TO TURN OFF THE TANKS. THE LIGHT WAS FLAT THAT MORNING; AND THE POLES WERE NEAR SOME NEARBY TREES. WHEN I RETURNED THAT AFTERNOON; THE POLES AND WIRES WERE VERY VISIBLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE EQUIP; FABRIC DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL. PROPERTY DAMAGE TO LINES REMAINS UNCERTAIN. I NEED TO HAVE MY PAX BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR LINES SO THAT 'NOT BEING AWARE OF THEM' NEVER OCCURS AGAIN. MY PERFORMANCE MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED BY THE FACT THAT I HAVE ONLY FLOWN THIS AREA EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PAST FEW YRS AND I SHOULD PROBABLY REFRESH MY SKILLS SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN FLY HERE. COMPLACENCY WITH THE FAMILIAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS A PART TIME RIDE BUSINESS FLYING AN AEROSTAR AX-9 BALLOON. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON FABRIC; LESS THAN $200 AND ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE PWR LINES. THE LINES ARCED AND FELL TO THE GND. THE FABRIC DAMAGE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE BALLOON WAS BEING DEFLATED. THE GND CREW WALKED THE BALLOON AWAY FROM THE LINES. THE RPTR CALLED THE DEN FSDO AND LEFT MORE THAN 1 MESSAGE BUT NONE WAS RETURNED. THE PAX WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE RPTR'S REPUTATION THAN WITH THEIR NEAR BRUSH WITH DEATH. PWR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON SCENE WITHIN 5 MINS.