RX8 BALLOON PLT COLLIDES WITH PWR LINES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A SMALL FIELD DUE TO A WIND SHIFT AND LOW FUEL.

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AFTER LNDG FROM A FIELD WITH 3 OTHER BALLOONS; WE FLEW IN A DIRECTION WHICH I WAS SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH; HAVING FLOWN IN THE AREA 3 TIMES BEFORE. IT WAS MORE WOODED THAN I REMEMBERED. 45 MINS INTO THE FLT; THE OTHER BALLOONS WERE SETTING DOWN. MY ATTEMPTS AT LNDG WERE FOILED BY A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION -- THE 'LIFT' WE HAD BEEN USING WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND I WAS STUCK FLYING OVER DENSE WOODS WITH NO LNDG AREAS IN SIGHT GIVEN OUR DIRECTION OF FLT. GETTING LOW ON FUEL (30% IN EACH OF MY 2 FUEL TANSK) A FIELD (ABOUT 75 YARDS X 75 YARDS) PRESENTED ITSELF. PWR LINES; 2 BRAIDED WIRES; WERE SURROUNDING THE FIELD; BUT I THOUGHT I COULD PLACE THE BALLOON JUST PAST THE 'EAST' LINES. IN MAKING MY APCH I THOUGHT I WAS COMING IN TOO FAST. I HIT THE BURNER TO SLOW MY DSCNT BUT BURNED TOO LONG. THE BALLOON LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 5 FT AND; WITH A WIND SPD AT ABOUT 4-5 MPH; GLIDED INTO THE LINES. THE ENVELOPE STRUCK THE LINES ABOUT 10-12 FT ABOVE THE MOUTH. THE PWR LINES ARCED THEN SHUT DOWN. MEANWHILE; THE ENVELOPE RECOILED; BUT NOT ENOUGH TO COME BACK OFF THE PWR LINES DUE TO THE WIND. ABOUT 1/2 MIN LATER THE PWR LINES AGAIN ARCED DUE TO THE 30 SECOND AUTOMATIC RESET BEING ACTIVATED IN THE PWR LINE TRANSFORMER. IT SHUT OFF; THE LINES WERE DEAD; AND THE ENVELOPE DEFLATED OVER THE LINES WITH THE BASKET SETTLED ON THE GND. NEITHER PAX OR PLT WAS INJURED AND THE BALLOON SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE; IE; BURNED SPOTS AND TEARS ALONG WITH A SEVERED CABLE. IF I HAD STARTED WITH 2 FULL TANKS; I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FLOWN PAST THIS FIELD AND LOOKED FOR ANOTHER. NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH THE DIRECTION OF FLT; I SUCCUMBED TO PEER PRESSURE. I HAD BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE THE PREVIOUS FLTS IN THIS AREA AND DID NOT FOLLOW MY INSTINCTS AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. IN LNDG; I SHOULD HAVE DONE A 'SPIKE IN' LNDG WITH AN IMMEDIATE DEFLATION. THE ATTEMPT AT THIS FIELD SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE AND I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN ON; AND; IF NECESSARY; SET THEM IN THE WOODS.