A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HITS A POLE AS THE BALLOON IS RELEASED.

Narrative

COMMERCIAL FLT WITH 3 PAX; INTENDED LAUNCH TIME XA00 AM MST (SUNRISE). PAX WERE LATE -- 'FINISHING BREAKFAST.' LAUNCH SITE CHOSEN ON RPTED WINDS ALOFT AND LCL AWOS HELIUM BALLOONS RELEASED AT LAUNCH SITE. INFLATION OF BALLOON BEGAN AT XA25 AM MST AND WIND GUSTS MADE INFLATION DIFFICULT. INFLATION COMPLETED AT XA40 AM MST AND PAX CAME ONBOARD. WHILE BALLOON WAS BEING HEATED TO 'BUOYANCY' SOME EXTREMELY STRONG GUSTS BEGAN TO 'ROCK' THE BALLOON. A GND CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO KEEP 'WT ON.' WIND GUSTS INCREASED AND THE BALLOON SYS BEGAN TO SKID ACROSS THE GND TOWARD HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION. DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS I MADE THE DECISION TO ACHIEVE TKOF VERSUS DEFLATE ON THE DEBRIS. THE NEXT WIND GUST WAS 90 DEGS FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE AND TOOK THE BALLOON ONTO A PAVED ROAD AND DIRECTLY TOWARDS A STREET LAMP (APPROX 60 FT HIGH). AT THAT POINT THE GND CREW RELEASED THE BALLOON (BY REMOVING THEIR WT) AND THE BALLOON LEFT THE GND WITH THE LAMP POLE DIRECTLY IN ITS PATH. I FEEL THE 'FALSE LIFT' EFFECT ON THE ENVELOPE GAVE THE GND CREW THE IMPRESSION THE BALLOON WAS READY FOR FLT. THE BALLOON ENVELOPE TOUCHED THE POLE AND THE LAMP ASSEMBLY ON ITS EXTENSION AND TORE THE FABRIC. THE LAMP AND EXTENSION ENTERED THE ENVELOPE AND BECAME CAUGHT ON THE LOAD TAPES. I SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SYS AND EXTINGUISHED THE PLT LIGHT. I ALLOWED THE ENVELOPE TO COOL AND THE BASKET CAME TO REST ON THE GND; WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE TO THE BASKET AND NO INJURY TO MYSELF OR THE PAX. THE ENVELOPE HAD SEVERAL TORN PANELS AND THE SKIRT WAS TORN. THE STREET LAMP HAD A GLASS LENS WHICH WAS BROKEN. THE POLE AND EXTENSION ARM WERE UNDAMAGED.