Reporter error admitted in striking power lines as night is falling at a non tower airport.

Attributes
ACN	292490
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o37
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 40 agl bound upper : 40
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : straight in
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 553 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	292490
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed tracy, destination orland airport, 143 mi, estimated arrival XA46 pm. Encountered unexpected headwinds. Was flying second aircraft. Flight inadvertently went past XA46. Flew tight formation with second aircraft. My aircraft had no position lights, second aircraft did. On final at orland, clipped power line. Landed successfully. Damage to my aircraft $200 to right landing gear. No injuries to myself or anyone on ground. Was flying PAPI, encountered high rate of sink. Damage to power line was less than $10000. Nonrptable incident per NTSB. Lessons learned: when flying close to sunset with non position light equipped aircraft, allow extra time to land well before sunset so unexpected headwinds are not a problem. Flying final approach on PAPI, fly slightly high to allow extra margin for unexpected sink on final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ERROR ADMITTED IN STRIKING PWR LINES AS NIGHT IS FALLING AT A NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED TRACY, DEST ORLAND ARPT, 143 MI, ESTIMATED ARR XA46 PM. ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTED HEADWINDS. WAS FLYING SECOND ACFT. FLT INADVERTENTLY WENT PAST XA46. FLEW TIGHT FORMATION WITH SECOND ACFT. MY ACFT HAD NO POS LIGHTS, SECOND ACFT DID. ON FINAL AT ORLAND, CLIPPED PWR LINE. LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. DAMAGE TO MY ACFT $200 TO R LNDG GEAR. NO INJURIES TO MYSELF OR ANYONE ON GND. WAS FLYING PAPI, ENCOUNTERED HIGH RATE OF SINK. DAMAGE TO PWR LINE WAS LESS THAN $10000. NONRPTABLE INCIDENT PER NTSB. LESSONS LEARNED: WHEN FLYING CLOSE TO SUNSET WITH NON POS LIGHT EQUIPPED ACFT, ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO LAND WELL BEFORE SUNSET SO UNEXPECTED HEADWINDS ARE NOT A PROB. FLYING FINAL APCH ON PAPI, FLY SLIGHTLY HIGH TO ALLOW EXTRA MARGIN FOR UNEXPECTED SINK ON FINAL.

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.