Damage to the building and equipment also.. I hope that balloon pilot had good insurance, because fixing all that damage, will cost more than $1,000,000. If I were Cumulus, I would also consider suing the city. That Balloon park should not have been close to the towers..
The new tower in parts alone is a million+. The cleanup and new installation (assuming there is one) will be at least double. The transmitter shack looks RUINED and that is not cheap. I'm a ham operator and commercial equipment is outrageous expensive.
Maybe the tower was structurally unstable or in disrepair.. you'll have to investigate inspection records. If my car hits a rusty old light pole.. like only bumping it and not a high speed collision.. and it falls down.. I may be responsible but it wasn't structurally sound to begin with. That's the perspective I'm drawing to consider.
You would think they wouldn't do hot air balloon launches directly near towers, it's stupidy at its best. This was the second time this tower was struck by a balloon.
Hot air balloons have only positive altitude control. They control direction by finding winds going in different directions at varying altitudes. Now, add to that radio towers that can be difficult to see and numerous other balloons to keep track of while you're piloting one of these balloons that has a massive envelope blocking a fair amount of the sky above you and you have a real challenge. I suggest you try it yourself before becoming so judgemental.
I would think the objective would be to get to an altitude higher than any of the towers as quickly as possible after lift off. That way, no matter where you drift, you will be above the elevation of the towers.
1. karen calling 911 before there's an emergency 2. that tower is someone's property and it was damaged. 3. why evacuate homes after a radio tower falls?
She actually called when the balloon struck the tower because it was hung up there for a few seconds. The tower fell some 30 seconds after the balloon was free.
This story is just balooning into something less elevated. Please repeat the clip for those currently without reception. LOL. I think the FAA will fry them if nothing technical is found at fault could have been very tragic.