Narrative:

On this sat morning, I was in the process of spraying a field. It was a pretty nice morning, but there was a high overcast of cirrus clouds blocking out the sun. I proceeded to make 2 passes over and around the field where I planned to lay some smoke in order to verify the wind direction. I set up to descend over the pwrlines and once past them, I would level out on the deck to lay some smoke, as I have done thousands of times before. In coming down, due to the overcast, I was unable to see the lines themselves, but in judging my relationship to the ground. I considered that my flight path was plenty high enough to clear the wires. I was even a little higher than normal. I saw the lines about the same time that I hit them. I apparently cut them with a combination of my propeller and wire cutter that is on my windshield specifically for this purpose. I knew right away what had happened. I immediately pulled up to gain some altitude and proceeded to look over the aircraft for any damage. Every thing seemed all right (through sight and sound). I then verified the downed pwrlines and proceeded to complete the application. Once I determined that it was safe to do so. Upon landing, I closely checked over the aircraft and only found a few scratches from the lines. I then reported it to the power company. I believe the cause was a combination of me not being able to see the lines due to the overcast as well as the fact that the lines were a lot higher than normal because they were stretched across a drainage area or 'draw.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AG ACFT STRUCK PWRLINES DURING CROP SPRAYING OPS.

Narrative: ON THIS SAT MORNING, I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SPRAYING A FIELD. IT WAS A PRETTY NICE MORNING, BUT THERE WAS A HIGH OVCST OF CIRRUS CLOUDS BLOCKING OUT THE SUN. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE 2 PASSES OVER AND AROUND THE FIELD WHERE I PLANNED TO LAY SOME SMOKE IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE WIND DIRECTION. I SET UP TO DSND OVER THE PWRLINES AND ONCE PAST THEM, I WOULD LEVEL OUT ON THE DECK TO LAY SOME SMOKE, AS I HAVE DONE THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE. IN COMING DOWN, DUE TO THE OVCST, I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE LINES THEMSELVES, BUT IN JUDGING MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE GND. I CONSIDERED THAT MY FLT PATH WAS PLENTY HIGH ENOUGH TO CLR THE WIRES. I WAS EVEN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. I SAW THE LINES ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT I HIT THEM. I APPARENTLY CUT THEM WITH A COMBINATION OF MY PROP AND WIRE CUTTER THAT IS ON MY WINDSHIELD SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE. I KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP TO GAIN SOME ALT AND PROCEEDED TO LOOK OVER THE ACFT FOR ANY DAMAGE. EVERY THING SEEMED ALL RIGHT (THROUGH SIGHT AND SOUND). I THEN VERIFIED THE DOWNED PWRLINES AND PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION. ONCE I DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. UPON LNDG, I CLOSELY CHKED OVER THE ACFT AND ONLY FOUND A FEW SCRATCHES FROM THE LINES. I THEN RPTED IT TO THE PWR COMPANY. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE WAS A COMBINATION OF ME NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE LINES DUE TO THE OVCST AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE LINES WERE A LOT HIGHER THAN NORMAL BECAUSE THEY WERE STRETCHED ACROSS A DRAINAGE AREA OR 'DRAW.'

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.