A CAMERON V-90 BALLOON LIFTED OFF AND HIT AN ELECTRICAL WIRE BUT DID NOT DAMAGE THE ACFT OR ANY GND EQUIPMENT.

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PWR LINE STRIKE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. LOCATION OF INCIDENT WAS IN A VACANT LOT NEAR THE FIELD. HELIUM FILLED LATEX BALLOONS HAD BEEN RELEASED PRIOR TO LAUNCH; THOSE BALLOONS EXITED THE LAUNCH AREA ON A BEARING OF 223 DEGS AT APPROX 3 MPH. I LAID OUT THE BALLOON DOWNWIND; AND PROCEEDED WITH THE INFLATION. UPON RELEASING THE TIE-OFF LINE; THE BALLOON WAS BLOWN IN A MORE EASTERLY DIRECTION. AS I CLBED OUT OF THE FIELD; THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON CAUGHT THE TOP LINE OF A 2-LINE RESIDENTIAL PWR LINE THAT RAN ALONG THE STREET. GIVEN THE DIRECTION THE HELIUM BALLOONS HAD LEFT THE FIELD; I BELIEVED I WAS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE PWR LINE TO HAVE A SAFE LAUNCH. AFTER THE BASKET CONTACTED THE LINE; THE LINE SNAGGED ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BASKET WICKER. KNOWING I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ONLY 1 LINE; AND STILL ASCENDING (400-600 FPM); I REACHED OVER THE SIDE OF THE BASKET AND PUSHED THE LINE OFF THE BASKET (I WAS WEARING LEATHER GLOVES THAT I USE WHILE FLYING). THE LINE 'TWANGED' LIKE A GUITAR STRING. THE BALLOON ASCENDED A FURTHER 500 FT BEFORE LEVELING OFF. SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO ME (THE PLT); PAX; OR THE BALLOON EQUIP; I CONTINUED THE FLT. LATER THAT EVENING; I SPOKE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LCL ELECTRIC COMPANY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PWR LINE WAS FINE. I THINK FALSE LIFT AND A POSSIBLE WIND GUST (DIRECTIONAL CHANGE) MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. I HAD STARTED THE LAUNCH BY ALLOWING THE BALLOON TO EXTEND TO THE END OF TETHER LINE; AND THEN PAUSED TO DO A FINAL CHK BEFORE RELEASING THE TETHER LINE AND LAUNCHING. AT THAT POINT; I WAS NEUTRAL TO SLIGHTLY POSITIVELY BUOYANT; AND PROBABLY EXPERIENCING SOME FALSE LIFT. AFTER RELEASING THE TETHER LINE; I BEGAN TO RISE; BUT ONCE THE FALSE LIFT EFFECT DISSIPATED; I WAS NOT CLBING AT AN ADEQUATE RATE TO CLR THE PWR LINE. I FEEL IF I HAD TRIED TO ABORT THE LAUNCH; THE RESULTING EVENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE; I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETELY DEFLATE THE BALLOON AND GET THE ENVELOPE ON THE GND BEFORE IT HIT THE PWR LINE. POTENTIALLY; IN THAT SITUATION; THE ENVELOPE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRAPED OVER BOTH LINES; AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A MORE SEVERE INCIDENT. IT MAY WELL HAVE ALSO DISRUPTED TFC ON THE HWY. AS IT WAS; I ONLY HIT 1 OF THE 2 LINES; THUS NOT COMPLETING A CIRCUIT. I WAS STILL CLBING AT THE TIME; SO I KNEW I WOULD NOT SINK DOWN INTO THE LOWER PWR LINE. I DETERMINED THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO GET THE LINE OFF THE BASKET AND CONTINUE MY CLB.