Narrative:

Striking power lines with an small aircraft during spray operations. On my second field that evening, 5/89, I struck 4 #2, power lines belonging to midwest electric membership. I cut 3 of these lines and damaged that last. Before I start spraying any field, I circle it to locate lines and other obstacles that could effect safe operation. On this field I had located 2 sets of power lines--1 going e-w parallel to a road, and the other going n-s also parallel to a road. The 2 sets of lines meet in the southeast corner of the field. What I did not see was a set of 4 #2 wires going northeast to southwest. These lines went across the southeast corner of the field between 2 of the poles of the 2 already located lines (picture). It is very hard to see power lines in certain light conditions. So to find the lines we look for the poles that carry the lines. The lines I struck did not have any support poles. After circling the field I started by entering the northeast corner of the field, to do my clean-up pass first. It was during the pull-up to clear the east/west lines of this pass I struck the lines. I had very little time to react. The lines stroke the propeller, the cockpit, safety wire (cockpit to vertical stabilizer) and the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft cut 3 wires and damaged the last. The aircraft flew and performed normally after the strike. I flew straight back to grant airport with no problems. After landing I found 3 strikes to the propeller, skin damage to the vertical stabilizer, a hole in the left horizontal stabilizer (top), and damage to the safety wire. The estimate of damage to the aircraft is about $2500, to the pwrlines $667. I do not feel it is fair that we can have our certificate suspended for this. It is one of the dangers of our work, and a scary one. I do not know of any pilot that would ever do this on purpose. By suspending the pilot in a small company during the 4 or 5 months he/she works, a lot of people are affected. It may in some areas be very hard for the farmer to have his field treated and therefore may have to take a longer yield loss or loss of crop population. There is no excuse for me in striking this set of wires--I have 6 yrs (1200 hours) in this field of flying. My wire spotting is not good enough. I went by what I expected to see, not the unexpected. I have now besides my aerial spotting added a ground spotting and a questionnaire for the farmer. A lesson was learned the hard way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AG ACFT HIT POWER LINES DURING SPRAY OPERATION.

Narrative: STRIKING PWR LINES WITH AN SMA DURING SPRAY OPS. ON MY SECOND FIELD THAT EVENING, 5/89, I STRUCK 4 #2, PWR LINES BELONGING TO MIDWEST ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP. I CUT 3 OF THESE LINES AND DAMAGED THAT LAST. BEFORE I START SPRAYING ANY FIELD, I CIRCLE IT TO LOCATE LINES AND OTHER OBSTACLES THAT COULD EFFECT SAFE OPERATION. ON THIS FIELD I HAD LOCATED 2 SETS OF PWR LINES--1 GOING E-W PARALLEL TO A ROAD, AND THE OTHER GOING N-S ALSO PARALLEL TO A ROAD. THE 2 SETS OF LINES MEET IN THE SE CORNER OF THE FIELD. WHAT I DID NOT SEE WAS A SET OF 4 #2 WIRES GOING NE TO SW. THESE LINES WENT ACROSS THE SE CORNER OF THE FIELD BTWN 2 OF THE POLES OF THE 2 ALREADY LOCATED LINES (PICTURE). IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE PWR LINES IN CERTAIN LIGHT CONDITIONS. SO TO FIND THE LINES WE LOOK FOR THE POLES THAT CARRY THE LINES. THE LINES I STRUCK DID NOT HAVE ANY SUPPORT POLES. AFTER CIRCLING THE FIELD I STARTED BY ENTERING THE NE CORNER OF THE FIELD, TO DO MY CLEAN-UP PASS FIRST. IT WAS DURING THE PULL-UP TO CLR THE E/W LINES OF THIS PASS I STRUCK THE LINES. I HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO REACT. THE LINES STROKE THE PROP, THE COCKPIT, SAFETY WIRE (COCKPIT TO VERT STAB) AND THE VERT STAB. THE ACFT CUT 3 WIRES AND DAMAGED THE LAST. THE ACFT FLEW AND PERFORMED NORMALLY AFTER THE STRIKE. I FLEW STRAIGHT BACK TO GRANT ARPT WITH NO PROBS. AFTER LNDG I FOUND 3 STRIKES TO THE PROP, SKIN DAMAGE TO THE VERT STAB, A HOLE IN THE LEFT HORIZ STAB (TOP), AND DAMAGE TO THE SAFETY WIRE. THE ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE TO THE ACFT IS ABOUT $2500, TO THE PWRLINES $667. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED FOR THIS. IT IS ONE OF THE DANGERS OF OUR WORK, AND A SCARY ONE. I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY PLT THAT WOULD EVER DO THIS ON PURPOSE. BY SUSPENDING THE PLT IN A SMALL COMPANY DURING THE 4 OR 5 MONTHS HE/SHE WORKS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED. IT MAY IN SOME AREAS BE VERY HARD FOR THE FARMER TO HAVE HIS FIELD TREATED AND THEREFORE MAY HAVE TO TAKE A LONGER YIELD LOSS OR LOSS OF CROP POPULATION. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ME IN STRIKING THIS SET OF WIRES--I HAVE 6 YRS (1200 HRS) IN THIS FIELD OF FLYING. MY WIRE SPOTTING IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. I WENT BY WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE, NOT THE UNEXPECTED. I HAVE NOW BESIDES MY AERIAL SPOTTING ADDED A GND SPOTTING AND A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE FARMER. A LESSON WAS LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.