Narrative:

I was sight-seeing and taking videos with a friend and relative around the local area of my home town. After covering our areas of interest I decided to make a low approach near a relative's camp north pleasant pond. The conditions were unlimited visibility, no clouds, temperature 35 degrees, and the pond (approximately 3 mi long and 1/4-3/4 mi wide) was frozen and snow covered this time of yr. I was approaching from the west end of the pond at 50-75 ft AGL when I noticed 2 black hi-lines across the end of the pond. I was in a slight bank to the right and descending slightly. I immediately banked left to level and pulled up, making contact with the lines. I felt no forces on the aircraft and no interruption of power, ctlability, or other adverse effects were noticed. I continued to climb paying close attention to any unusual noises, control problems, etc. None were noticed. I looked out the left side of the aircraft and noticed the wheel had been slightly hit by the wire. My passenger looked at the right side and could see no damage. After further inspection no additional damage was observed. The flight was continued approximately 20 mi to houlton for fuel. Not knowing for sure if the nosewheel was damaged, I made a full-flap soft field landing without incident. While refueling, upon further inspection, it was noted that indeed the wire had damaged the spinner and propeller. Also, a slight indentation on the leading edge of the right wing was noticed (approximately 1/8-1/4 inch). I was of the opinion since the airplane flew without incident or problems for the previous 10-15 mins that it was safe to return to the FBO of origination, millinocket, me. After thorough inspection and preflight we returned to the FBO with an unremarkable flight. The situation was described to the operator who in turn reported the incident to the FAA and his insurance company. In terms of prevention, had the wires been marked certainly would have been advantageous. Poor judgement on my part is certainly a factor. I am an aerobatic pilot and compete locally. I feel that this experience gave me an advantage in taking proper corrective action without worsening the situation: i.e., panic, too hard of a pull-up and stalling the aircraft and being accustomed to unusual attitudes. In no way am I condoning my actions or placing blame anywhere other than myself. Although, I am from the local area, I did not recall those hi-lines being there and they are not on the sectional chart. I have never had an incident of any kind and feel I am a concerned and conscientious pilot. This was an unfortunate and avoidable incident and I feel very fortunate that no one was injured or lost their lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT STRUCK WIRES DURING A LOW FLT RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT'S PROP AND SPINNER.

Narrative: I WAS SIGHT-SEEING AND TAKING VIDEOS WITH A FRIEND AND RELATIVE AROUND THE LCL AREA OF MY HOME TOWN. AFTER COVERING OUR AREAS OF INTEREST I DECIDED TO MAKE A LOW APCH NEAR A RELATIVE'S CAMP N PLEASANT POND. THE CONDITIONS WERE UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, NO CLOUDS, TEMP 35 DEGS, AND THE POND (APPROX 3 MI LONG AND 1/4-3/4 MI WIDE) WAS FROZEN AND SNOW COVERED THIS TIME OF YR. I WAS APCHING FROM THE W END OF THE POND AT 50-75 FT AGL WHEN I NOTICED 2 BLACK HI-LINES ACROSS THE END OF THE POND. I WAS IN A SLIGHT BANK TO THE R AND DSNDING SLIGHTLY. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED L TO LEVEL AND PULLED UP, MAKING CONTACT WITH THE LINES. I FELT NO FORCES ON THE ACFT AND NO INTERRUPTION OF PWR, CTLABILITY, OR OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE NOTICED. I CONTINUED TO CLB PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO ANY UNUSUAL NOISES, CTL PROBS, ETC. NONE WERE NOTICED. I LOOKED OUT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND NOTICED THE WHEEL HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY HIT BY THE WIRE. MY PAX LOOKED AT THE R SIDE AND COULD SEE NO DAMAGE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED APPROX 20 MI TO HOULTON FOR FUEL. NOT KNOWING FOR SURE IF THE NOSEWHEEL WAS DAMAGED, I MADE A FULL-FLAP SOFT FIELD LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE REFUELING, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT INDEED THE WIRE HAD DAMAGED THE SPINNER AND PROP. ALSO, A SLIGHT INDENTATION ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE R WING WAS NOTICED (APPROX 1/8-1/4 INCH). I WAS OF THE OPINION SINCE THE AIRPLANE FLEW WITHOUT INCIDENT OR PROBS FOR THE PREVIOUS 10-15 MINS THAT IT WAS SAFE TO RETURN TO THE FBO OF ORIGINATION, MILLINOCKET, ME. AFTER THOROUGH INSPECTION AND PREFLT WE RETURNED TO THE FBO WITH AN UNREMARKABLE FLT. THE SIT WAS DESCRIBED TO THE OPERATOR WHO IN TURN RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE FAA AND HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. IN TERMS OF PREVENTION, HAD THE WIRES BEEN MARKED CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ADVANTAGEOUS. POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART IS CERTAINLY A FACTOR. I AM AN AEROBATIC PLT AND COMPETE LOCALLY. I FEEL THAT THIS EXPERIENCE GAVE ME AN ADVANTAGE IN TAKING PROPER CORRECTIVE ACTION WITHOUT WORSENING THE SIT: I.E., PANIC, TOO HARD OF A PULL-UP AND STALLING THE ACFT AND BEING ACCUSTOMED TO UNUSUAL ATTITUDES. IN NO WAY AM I CONDONING MY ACTIONS OR PLACING BLAME ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MYSELF. ALTHOUGH, I AM FROM THE LCL AREA, I DID NOT RECALL THOSE HI-LINES BEING THERE AND THEY ARE NOT ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN INCIDENT OF ANY KIND AND FEEL I AM A CONCERNED AND CONSCIENTIOUS PLT. THIS WAS AN UNFORTUNATE AND AVOIDABLE INCIDENT AND I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED OR LOST THEIR LIVES.

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.