Narrative:

I crossed mid-field and entered a normal left hand pattern for landing. Upon turning final (south heading), I assessed my position to be in line with the runway, but approximately 75 ft high. I reduced power and proceeded to bleed off altitude using a slip, right hand wing low. I leveled the wings at 150 ft AGL at 70 mph airspeed, with the aircraft still in line with the runway, and proceeded to land. I looked for the 2 wires which are located just north of the runway, and could not see them along my line of descent. Just before crossing the highway, I felt a slight 'twinge.' my aircraft remained on course and we landed without any difficulty. After taxiing back to the north end of the strip I noted a resident of a house, located just northeast of the field, looking towards the top of the wooden power pole. I secured my aircraft and went to investigate, realizing that the 'twinge' that I felt on short final was likely my aircraft contacting the upper wire. The wire was down and the resident stated that this was the third time in 2 yrs that this wire had been knocked down. She was very helpful in assisting me by making the calls necessary to report and repair the wire. I inspected my aircraft for damage and found only a small paint scrape area on my lower right hand landing gear leg. I had made 9 lndgs at this same airfield during the summer and 1 earlier this morning. The position of the wires relative to the runway threshold requires a steeper than normal descent, but does not pose a problem as long as the pilot can see them. The wire position are difficult to locate, but the sun's position in the southern sky during this landing made them invisible. The poles which support the wires are of little assistance for reference purposes since they are approximately 300 ft apart, with the line of flight splitting between them. I verbally requested to 1 of the line workers, who rehung the wire, that the wires be marked using the orange ball/markers to illuminate the wires position. He gave me the name of his supervisor who I will be contacting in writing, concurrent with paying for the services for rehanging the wire, requesting such markings be done due to the frequency of incidents at this location. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has not contacted company as yet. He is waiting for a bill for the rehanging of the wire and then intends to make his contact. Aircraft was a C140. Analyst suggested prompt contact to avoid anyone else experiencing the same problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C140 ON APCH HITS WIRE ACROSS APCH PATH.

Narrative: I CROSSED MID-FIELD AND ENTERED A NORMAL L HAND PATTERN FOR LNDG. UPON TURNING FINAL (S HDG), I ASSESSED MY POS TO BE IN LINE WITH THE RWY, BUT APPROX 75 FT HIGH. I REDUCED PWR AND PROCEEDED TO BLEED OFF ALT USING A SLIP, R HAND WING LOW. I LEVELED THE WINGS AT 150 FT AGL AT 70 MPH AIRSPD, WITH THE ACFT STILL IN LINE WITH THE RWY, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. I LOOKED FOR THE 2 WIRES WHICH ARE LOCATED JUST N OF THE RWY, AND COULD NOT SEE THEM ALONG MY LINE OF DSCNT. JUST BEFORE XING THE HWY, I FELT A SLIGHT 'TWINGE.' MY ACFT REMAINED ON COURSE AND WE LANDED WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY. AFTER TAXIING BACK TO THE N END OF THE STRIP I NOTED A RESIDENT OF A HOUSE, LOCATED JUST NE OF THE FIELD, LOOKING TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE WOODEN PWR POLE. I SECURED MY ACFT AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE, REALIZING THAT THE 'TWINGE' THAT I FELT ON SHORT FINAL WAS LIKELY MY ACFT CONTACTING THE UPPER WIRE. THE WIRE WAS DOWN AND THE RESIDENT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME IN 2 YRS THAT THIS WIRE HAD BEEN KNOCKED DOWN. SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL IN ASSISTING ME BY MAKING THE CALLS NECESSARY TO RPT AND REPAIR THE WIRE. I INSPECTED MY ACFT FOR DAMAGE AND FOUND ONLY A SMALL PAINT SCRAPE AREA ON MY LOWER R HAND LNDG GEAR LEG. I HAD MADE 9 LNDGS AT THIS SAME AIRFIELD DURING THE SUMMER AND 1 EARLIER THIS MORNING. THE POS OF THE WIRES RELATIVE TO THE RWY THRESHOLD REQUIRES A STEEPER THAN NORMAL DSCNT, BUT DOES NOT POSE A PROB AS LONG AS THE PLT CAN SEE THEM. THE WIRE POS ARE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE, BUT THE SUN'S POS IN THE SOUTHERN SKY DURING THIS LNDG MADE THEM INVISIBLE. THE POLES WHICH SUPPORT THE WIRES ARE OF LITTLE ASSISTANCE FOR REF PURPOSES SINCE THEY ARE APPROX 300 FT APART, WITH THE LINE OF FLT SPLITTING BTWN THEM. I VERBALLY REQUESTED TO 1 OF THE LINE WORKERS, WHO REHUNG THE WIRE, THAT THE WIRES BE MARKED USING THE ORANGE BALL/MARKERS TO ILLUMINATE THE WIRES POS. HE GAVE ME THE NAME OF HIS SUPVR WHO I WILL BE CONTACTING IN WRITING, CONCURRENT WITH PAYING FOR THE SVCS FOR REHANGING THE WIRE, REQUESTING SUCH MARKINGS BE DONE DUE TO THE FREQ OF INCIDENTS AT THIS LOCATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT CONTACTED COMPANY AS YET. HE IS WAITING FOR A BILL FOR THE REHANGING OF THE WIRE AND THEN INTENDS TO MAKE HIS CONTACT. ACFT WAS A C140. ANALYST SUGGESTED PROMPT CONTACT TO AVOID ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROB.

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.