Narrative:

Landing at daniel field, a 1680' paved 40' wide private strip. Runway 28/10 2 windsocks at ends. Socks indicated 10-15 mph wind from 090 degree, I flew left downwind ap approximately 800' AGL. Set up for short field landing at 70 KIAS, approximately 500-800' from end of runway 10, I felt a slight shudder in plane after having applied full power to go around due to a sudden 'sink'. Airspeed dropped, don't recall specific airspeed, as I was focused on go around etc. After departure, I circled field and found wind had reversed direction approximately 180 degree. A normal landing was then made to the north. On inspecting plane found no damage, initially. A friend on the ground waiting for me said that a very strong gust of wind passed as I was landing, and then the shift in direction followed. Upon returning to the plane several hours later, I was informed by a power company that I had hit a power line and cut it. Upon further inspection, sure enough the left main gear door had a crimp in the outboard door. It did not affect operation of the door or cause any interference of any kind. After talking with my neighbor (a pilot), I was told there have been 3 accidents over the past 10 yrs or so. 2 of them involving 5 fatalities, hitting the same wires. Nothing has been done to mark the wires with balls or move them. I had previously landed at the strip 5 or 6 times, all to the north. This occurrence was my first landing to the south. I had looked over the southerly approach previously from the ground but saw no obstructions other than trees. The power poles are well hidden in trees at either extremity and are invisible from the air and difficult to find on the ground. I will certainly be doing something about this with the FAA in the near future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter contacted for additional information and confirmation that airport in question is 044 (oh forty four) indicated on san francisco sectional as inglenook ranch. The reporter confirmed the airport as 044, further stating that the airport was initially opened in 1947. The FAA master record shows 044 additional identify as 02120.a. The power lines are an obstruction to traffic approaching from a westerly direction for runway 10. The power lines are not on airport property, but are located on the adjacent neighbors property. The power company has presented the reporter with a bill for power line repairs which the reporter has declined to pay, however, the reporter has offered to pay for installation of power line 'ball' markers. The power company has so far declined the offer. The reporter was unable to supply details of the alleged previous fatal accidents at this airport, but offered to research the matter if requested. He further stated that this airport has been used occasionally as an emergency landing strip, most recently by an small aircraft that experienced an engine failure. He also indicated that this airport is commonly used as an emergency airstrip by gliders.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA STRIKES UNMARKED AND HARD TO SEE POWER LINES AT PRIVATE ARPT (044, RUTHERFORD, INGLENOOK RANCH, CA).

Narrative: LNDG AT DANIEL FIELD, A 1680' PAVED 40' WIDE PRIVATE STRIP. RWY 28/10 2 WINDSOCKS AT ENDS. SOCKS INDICATED 10-15 MPH WIND FROM 090 DEG, I FLEW L DOWNWIND AP APPROX 800' AGL. SET UP FOR SHORT FIELD LNDG AT 70 KIAS, APPROX 500-800' FROM END OF RWY 10, I FELT A SLIGHT SHUDDER IN PLANE AFTER HAVING APPLIED FULL PWR TO GO AROUND DUE TO A SUDDEN 'SINK'. AIRSPD DROPPED, DON'T RECALL SPECIFIC AIRSPD, AS I WAS FOCUSED ON GO AROUND ETC. AFTER DEP, I CIRCLED FIELD AND FOUND WIND HAD REVERSED DIRECTION APPROX 180 DEG. A NORMAL LNDG WAS THEN MADE TO THE N. ON INSPECTING PLANE FOUND NO DAMAGE, INITIALLY. A FRIEND ON THE GND WAITING FOR ME SAID THAT A VERY STRONG GUST OF WIND PASSED AS I WAS LNDG, AND THEN THE SHIFT IN DIRECTION FOLLOWED. UPON RETURNING TO THE PLANE SEVERAL HRS LATER, I WAS INFORMED BY A PWR COMPANY THAT I HAD HIT A PWR LINE AND CUT IT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, SURE ENOUGH THE L MAIN GEAR DOOR HAD A CRIMP IN THE OUTBOARD DOOR. IT DID NOT AFFECT OPERATION OF THE DOOR OR CAUSE ANY INTERFERENCE OF ANY KIND. AFTER TALKING WITH MY NEIGHBOR (A PLT), I WAS TOLD THERE HAVE BEEN 3 ACCIDENTS OVER THE PAST 10 YRS OR SO. 2 OF THEM INVOLVING 5 FATALITIES, HITTING THE SAME WIRES. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO MARK THE WIRES WITH BALLS OR MOVE THEM. I HAD PREVIOUSLY LANDED AT THE STRIP 5 OR 6 TIMES, ALL TO THE N. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS MY FIRST LNDG TO THE S. I HAD LOOKED OVER THE SOUTHERLY APCH PREVIOUSLY FROM THE GND BUT SAW NO OBSTRUCTIONS OTHER THAN TREES. THE PWR POLES ARE WELL HIDDEN IN TREES AT EITHER EXTREMITY AND ARE INVISIBLE FROM THE AIR AND DIFFICULT TO FIND ON THE GND. I WILL CERTAINLY BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WITH THE FAA IN THE NEAR FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR CONTACTED FOR ADDITIONAL INFO AND CONFIRMATION THAT ARPT IN QUESTION IS 044 (OH FORTY FOUR) INDICATED ON SAN FRANCISCO SECTIONAL AS INGLENOOK RANCH. THE RPTR CONFIRMED THE ARPT AS 044, FURTHER STATING THAT THE ARPT WAS INITIALLY OPENED IN 1947. THE FAA MASTER RECORD SHOWS 044 ADDITIONAL IDENT AS 02120.A. THE PWR LINES ARE AN OBSTRUCTION TO TFC APCHING FROM A WESTERLY DIRECTION FOR RWY 10. THE PWR LINES ARE NOT ON ARPT PROPERTY, BUT ARE LOCATED ON THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORS PROPERTY. THE PWR COMPANY HAS PRESENTED THE RPTR WITH A BILL FOR PWR LINE REPAIRS WHICH THE RPTR HAS DECLINED TO PAY, HOWEVER, THE RPTR HAS OFFERED TO PAY FOR INSTALLATION OF PWR LINE 'BALL' MARKERS. THE PWR COMPANY HAS SO FAR DECLINED THE OFFER. THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED PREVIOUS FATAL ACCIDENTS AT THIS ARPT, BUT OFFERED TO RESEARCH THE MATTER IF REQUESTED. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS ARPT HAS BEEN USED OCCASIONALLY AS AN EMER LNDG STRIP, MOST RECENTLY BY AN SMA THAT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS ARPT IS COMMONLY USED AS AN EMER AIRSTRIP BY GLIDERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.