Narrative:

WX conditions were fog most of day turning to lots of haze from :00 pm on. Just finished spraying approximately 3 fields around 265 acres, went to start final field, a small one approximately 35 degrees about 2 mi from previous fields. Made one pass to check field for wires, etc, flew one pass in field to the east, pulled out, made turn, entered field at east end flying west. Sun and haze made visibility poor. Caught a glimpse of wire. Pulled out and hit power line, top wire with right main gear. Broke wire then proceeded to fly away when I observed wire with insulator from pole still hanging from plane. I then flew approximately 7 mi to a grass strip off us-12 east of white pigeon. Landed and assessed damage. No damage occurred to plane. Then called farmer to have him report wire strike to electric company. Followed up on the reporting of wire strike next day to the electric company. Power company advised me power was restored by 8:00 pm that night. No plane damage or property etc. 3 days later I returned to the field with airplane to observe wire layout etc. See below drawing of wires etc. I saw wires running parallel with road, did not see wires cutting across northeast end of field. Because of haze and poor visibility, I should have circled field more than once to determine whether or not field was clear. It was very difficult to see wires cutting across corner of field. The day I went back to check when visibility was clear let alone trying to see them on the day the wire strike occurred. Never can be too cautious, circling field again looking at different angles could have resulted in seeing wire at corner of field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPRAY ACFT STRIKES WIRE IN HAZY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WX CONDITIONS WERE FOG MOST OF DAY TURNING TO LOTS OF HAZE FROM :00 PM ON. JUST FINISHED SPRAYING APPROX 3 FIELDS AROUND 265 ACRES, WENT TO START FINAL FIELD, A SMALL ONE APPROX 35 DEGS ABOUT 2 MI FROM PREVIOUS FIELDS. MADE ONE PASS TO CHK FIELD FOR WIRES, ETC, FLEW ONE PASS IN FIELD TO THE E, PULLED OUT, MADE TURN, ENTERED FIELD AT E END FLYING W. SUN AND HAZE MADE VISIBILITY POOR. CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF WIRE. PULLED OUT AND HIT PWR LINE, TOP WIRE WITH R MAIN GEAR. BROKE WIRE THEN PROCEEDED TO FLY AWAY WHEN I OBSERVED WIRE WITH INSULATOR FROM POLE STILL HANGING FROM PLANE. I THEN FLEW APPROX 7 MI TO A GRASS STRIP OFF US-12 E OF WHITE PIGEON. LANDED AND ASSESSED DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO PLANE. THEN CALLED FARMER TO HAVE HIM RPT WIRE STRIKE TO ELECTRIC COMPANY. FOLLOWED UP ON THE RPTING OF WIRE STRIKE NEXT DAY TO THE ELECTRIC COMPANY. PWR COMPANY ADVISED ME PWR WAS RESTORED BY 8:00 PM THAT NIGHT. NO PLANE DAMAGE OR PROPERTY ETC. 3 DAYS LATER I RETURNED TO THE FIELD WITH AIRPLANE TO OBSERVE WIRE LAYOUT ETC. SEE BELOW DRAWING OF WIRES ETC. I SAW WIRES RUNNING PARALLEL WITH ROAD, DID NOT SEE WIRES CUTTING ACROSS NE END OF FIELD. BECAUSE OF HAZE AND POOR VISIBILITY, I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED FIELD MORE THAN ONCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT FIELD WAS CLR. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WIRES CUTTING ACROSS CORNER OF FIELD. THE DAY I WENT BACK TO CHK WHEN VISIBILITY WAS CLR LET ALONE TRYING TO SEE THEM ON THE DAY THE WIRE STRIKE OCCURRED. NEVER CAN BE TOO CAUTIOUS, CIRCLING FIELD AGAIN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ANGLES COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEEING WIRE AT CORNER OF FIELD.

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.