What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departure in hot air balloon privacy data omitted from S12 to the north with pilot and 2 passengers on board. Pilot saw three or four other balloons in a field and thought it would be a good place to land. Was releasing gas from the envelope and told passengers to prepare for a hard landing in field. Pilot noted the presence of the powerlines on the edge of the field and believed they were clear and flew over them. During decent the back of the envelope contacted the powerlines causing a tear in the envelope. There was no apparent indication of contact with the powerlines in the balloon. They touched the pavement on the road and then landed in the field. The pilot was told after landing the envelope had contacted the powerlines and had torn the envelope. The ground crew and the pilot removed the balloon from the site before contact with the NTSB or roc was made. Damage is to two panels of the balloon at the equator line requiring replacement.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTURE IN HOT AIR BALLOON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM S12 TO THE NORTH WITH PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. PILOT SAW THREE OR FOUR OTHER BALLOONS IN A FIELD AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO LAND. WAS RELEASING GAS FROM THE ENVELOPE AND TOLD PASSENGERS TO PREPARE FOR A HARD LANDING IN FIELD. PILOT NOTED THE PRESENCE OF THE POWERLINES ON THE EDGE OF THE FIELD AND BELIEVED THEY WERE CLEAR AND FLEW OVER THEM. DURING DECENT THE BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CONTACTED THE POWERLINES CAUSING A TEAR IN THE ENVELOPE. THERE WAS NO APPARENT INDICATION OF CONTACT WITH THE POWERLINES IN THE BALLOON. THEY TOUCHED THE PAVEMENT ON THE ROAD AND THEN LANDED IN THE FIELD. THE PILOT WAS TOLD AFTER LANDING THE ENVELOPE HAD CONTACTED THE POWERLINES AND HAD TORN THE ENVELOPE. THE GROUND CREW AND THE PILOT REMOVED THE BALLOON FROM THE SITE BEFORE CONTACT WITH THE NTSB OR ROC WAS MADE. DAMAGE IS TO TWO PANELS OF THE BALLOON AT THE EQUATOR LINE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.