Narrative:

10 mins after takeoff flying low level to training area wbound through foothills collided with pwrlines in near wings level attitude at 170 mph. Aircraft recovered uneventfully with light damage to propeller and wing skin. Pwrline(south) presumed severed. Contributing factors: pilot familiar with area but was traveling 1 mi south of normal route. I was inadequately familiar with pwrline in this location. Sunlight, while not directly in face, was still a factor. Lines were cut midspan across small valley. Pwrpoles were on top of ridges either side of valley. Had orange balls been on wires maybe they would have been seen. Human factors: pilot highly experienced military low level instructor who should have known better than to be low in an area not 100 percent familiar. While complacency is a strong word, level of experience low level in military and civilian aircraft together with familiarity of general area (have flown in area 15 plus yrs) may have resulted in false sense of security or comfort. While knowing at the time of occurrence hazards could exist, pilot was heads up but had no warning until first strike. Corrective action: unless 100 percent briefed and familiar with route, do not put one's self in position to conflict with potential and often unseen hazards like lines/towers. Attitude adjustment. I should be dead and instead have been given the opportunity to reflect upon my errors and attitude which did not give adequate respect to what has and will continue to kill many.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FLYING SMA HITS PWR LINES.

Narrative: 10 MINS AFTER TKOF FLYING LOW LEVEL TO TRAINING AREA WBOUND THROUGH FOOTHILLS COLLIDED WITH PWRLINES IN NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AT 170 MPH. ACFT RECOVERED UNEVENTFULLY WITH LIGHT DAMAGE TO PROP AND WING SKIN. PWRLINE(S) PRESUMED SEVERED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PLT FAMILIAR WITH AREA BUT WAS TRAVELING 1 MI S OF NORMAL RTE. I WAS INADEQUATELY FAMILIAR WITH PWRLINE IN THIS LOCATION. SUNLIGHT, WHILE NOT DIRECTLY IN FACE, WAS STILL A FACTOR. LINES WERE CUT MIDSPAN ACROSS SMALL VALLEY. PWRPOLES WERE ON TOP OF RIDGES EITHER SIDE OF VALLEY. HAD ORANGE BALLS BEEN ON WIRES MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN. HUMAN FACTORS: PLT HIGHLY EXPERIENCED MIL LOW LEVEL INSTRUCTOR WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO BE LOW IN AN AREA NOT 100 PERCENT FAMILIAR. WHILE COMPLACENCY IS A STRONG WORD, LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE LOW LEVEL IN MIL AND CIVILIAN ACFT TOGETHER WITH FAMILIARITY OF GENERAL AREA (HAVE FLOWN IN AREA 15 PLUS YRS) MAY HAVE RESULTED IN FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY OR COMFORT. WHILE KNOWING AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE HAZARDS COULD EXIST, PLT WAS HEADS UP BUT HAD NO WARNING UNTIL FIRST STRIKE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: UNLESS 100 PERCENT BRIEFED AND FAMILIAR WITH RTE, DO NOT PUT ONE'S SELF IN POS TO CONFLICT WITH POTENTIAL AND OFTEN UNSEEN HAZARDS LIKE LINES/TWRS. ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. I SHOULD BE DEAD AND INSTEAD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT UPON MY ERRORS AND ATTITUDE WHICH DID NOT GIVE ADEQUATE RESPECT TO WHAT HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO KILL MANY.

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.