Narrative:

My student and I left plk at XA15Z to practice private maneuvers over a sparsely populated area approximately 18 mi southwest of point lookout, mo. I was prepping my student for HSI private check ride and had just finished practicing approach and departure stalls, steep turns, slow flight, and simulated instrument conditions. At XB00Z at an altitude of 3000 ft MSL (2000 ft AGL), I pulled the power to simulate an emergency engine out, for which my student was to make a simulated emergency landing. My student chose a field approximately 5 mi southwest of oak grove, ar. As we started our descent, I asked him to point out the field to me. I looked for structures, vehicles, vessels, and people, to my determination we were at least 500 ft away from any as per far 91.119. Soon after my student started the go around, we hit 2 power lines, which we had not seen. One of the lines hit the exhaust and crimped it shut. Shortly thereafter, we lost power, but not immediately. Immediately after impacting the line, I told my student that I had control of the aircraft. During the short time during which we still had power, we gained a couple hundred ft in altitude. As we lost power, I had to lower the nose to maintain the airspeed. I chose a field paralleling the one we were just over and set it down in a farmer's field, upon landing, the brakes were applied, but because of damp grass and mud, we slid a short distance. The airplane went through a section of barbed wire and came to rest at a cattle trough. Damage to the airplane was to the left wingtip, the propeller, left side of the fuselage near the horizontal stabilizer, left horizontal stabilizer left elevator, and the bottom of the rudder. I am aware of 91.119, and when we make the descent, we were clear of any structures, vehicles, or people. The contributing factor would be my poor judgement in allowing my student to go that low. I did so for 2 reasons. First, I wanted to make the simulated landing as real as possible, and teach my student as best I could. Second, I was preparing my student for his private check ride and the examiner he was going to ride with often takes students fairly low to the ground. I wanted him to be prepared for this. This event has been a real learning experience for me, and I don't want it to happen again. Personally, I will in the future abandon simulated engine outs at an altitude of 500 ft AGL to avoid any unseen structures or obstacles. And when I want to go lower I will do so only at an airport where the student can go all the way down to the ground. I have already passed on what I have learned to other instructors at this flight school, and to my students as well. The policy of this flight school regarding dual instruction simulated engine outs was the flight instructor can go as low as he deems necessary. This policy will be changed as a result of this accident. I have always tried to be safe and to teach safety, and this accident has really impressed on me that importance. After hitting the power line, I think my reaction was quick and efficient. But this wouldn't have had to happen if we hadn't have been that low. The only way to stop this from happening again is to impress on my students the need for constant awareness of structures, obstructions and other aircraft. I think the wings program is helpful also in getting across the necessity of increased awareness and aviation safety. One factor that helped this power line strike turn out with no injuries is the fact that I stay up on my maneuvers, practicing them daily. This is one factor that needs to be stressed to pilots is the need to practice safety maneuvers because you never know when you will be doing it for real, and during these times proficiency is needed, you can't afford to be rusty. I am really thankful that there were no injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI HITS WIRES ON PRACTICE EMER LNDG. MAKES EMER LNDG IN FIELD AFTER ENG FAILS.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I LEFT PLK AT XA15Z TO PRACTICE PVT MANEUVERS OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA APPROX 18 MI SW OF POINT LOOKOUT, MO. I WAS PREPPING MY STUDENT FOR HSI PVT CHK RIDE AND HAD JUST FINISHED PRACTICING APCH AND DEP STALLS, STEEP TURNS, SLOW FLT, AND SIMULATED INST CONDITIONS. AT XB00Z AT AN ALT OF 3000 FT MSL (2000 FT AGL), I PULLED THE PWR TO SIMULATE AN EMER ENG OUT, FOR WHICH MY STUDENT WAS TO MAKE A SIMULATED EMER LNDG. MY STUDENT CHOSE A FIELD APPROX 5 MI SW OF OAK GROVE, AR. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT, I ASKED HIM TO POINT OUT THE FIELD TO ME. I LOOKED FOR STRUCTURES, VEHICLES, VESSELS, AND PEOPLE, TO MY DETERMINATION WE WERE AT LEAST 500 FT AWAY FROM ANY AS PER FAR 91.119. SOON AFTER MY STUDENT STARTED THE GAR, WE HIT 2 PWR LINES, WHICH WE HAD NOT SEEN. ONE OF THE LINES HIT THE EXHAUST AND CRIMPED IT SHUT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE LOST PWR, BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER IMPACTING THE LINE, I TOLD MY STUDENT THAT I HAD CTL OF THE ACFT. DURING THE SHORT TIME DURING WHICH WE STILL HAD PWR, WE GAINED A COUPLE HUNDRED FT IN ALT. AS WE LOST PWR, I HAD TO LOWER THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN THE AIRSPD. I CHOSE A FIELD PARALLELING THE ONE WE WERE JUST OVER AND SET IT DOWN IN A FARMER'S FIELD, UPON LNDG, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT BECAUSE OF DAMP GRASS AND MUD, WE SLID A SHORT DISTANCE. THE AIRPLANE WENT THROUGH A SECTION OF BARBED WIRE AND CAME TO REST AT A CATTLE TROUGH. DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS TO THE L WINGTIP, THE PROP, L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE HORIZ STABILIZER, L HORIZ STABILIZER L ELEVATOR, AND THE BOTTOM OF THE RUDDER. I AM AWARE OF 91.119, AND WHEN WE MAKE THE DSCNT, WE WERE CLR OF ANY STRUCTURES, VEHICLES, OR PEOPLE. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WOULD BE MY POOR JUDGEMENT IN ALLOWING MY STUDENT TO GO THAT LOW. I DID SO FOR 2 REASONS. FIRST, I WANTED TO MAKE THE SIMULATED LNDG AS REAL AS POSSIBLE, AND TEACH MY STUDENT AS BEST I COULD. SECOND, I WAS PREPARING MY STUDENT FOR HIS PVT CHK RIDE AND THE EXAMINER HE WAS GOING TO RIDE WITH OFTEN TAKES STUDENTS FAIRLY LOW TO THE GND. I WANTED HIM TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, AND I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. PERSONALLY, I WILL IN THE FUTURE ABANDON SIMULATED ENG OUTS AT AN ALT OF 500 FT AGL TO AVOID ANY UNSEEN STRUCTURES OR OBSTACLES. AND WHEN I WANT TO GO LOWER I WILL DO SO ONLY AT AN ARPT WHERE THE STUDENT CAN GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GND. I HAVE ALREADY PASSED ON WHAT I HAVE LEARNED TO OTHER INSTRUCTORS AT THIS FLT SCHOOL, AND TO MY STUDENTS AS WELL. THE POLICY OF THIS FLT SCHOOL REGARDING DUAL INSTRUCTION SIMULATED ENG OUTS WAS THE FLT INSTRUCTOR CAN GO AS LOW AS HE DEEMS NECESSARY. THIS POLICY WILL BE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE SAFE AND TO TEACH SAFETY, AND THIS ACCIDENT HAS REALLY IMPRESSED ON ME THAT IMPORTANCE. AFTER HITTING THE PWR LINE, I THINK MY REACTION WAS QUICK AND EFFICIENT. BUT THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO HAPPEN IF WE HADN'T HAVE BEEN THAT LOW. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IS TO IMPRESS ON MY STUDENTS THE NEED FOR CONSTANT AWARENESS OF STRUCTURES, OBSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER ACFT. I THINK THE WINGS PROGRAM IS HELPFUL ALSO IN GETTING ACROSS THE NECESSITY OF INCREASED AWARENESS AND AVIATION SAFETY. ONE FACTOR THAT HELPED THIS PWR LINE STRIKE TURN OUT WITH NO INJURIES IS THE FACT THAT I STAY UP ON MY MANEUVERS, PRACTICING THEM DAILY. THIS IS ONE FACTOR THAT NEEDS TO BE STRESSED TO PLTS IS THE NEED TO PRACTICE SAFETY MANEUVERS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL BE DOING IT FOR REAL, AND DURING THESE TIMES PROFICIENCY IS NEEDED, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BE RUSTY. I AM REALLY THANKFUL THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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.