Narrative:

On jun/fri/95 I departed stellar airpark at XX00. The day was clear, about 30 mi, and very smooth. I chose to fly VFR over the gila river down to yuma which started at the painted dam. The passenger enjoyed it so much I decided to take the plane down to about 50 ft AGL above the water. I had passed over a power line previously but had not seen another one for mi, so I continued low with confidence. All of a sudden I felt something strike the front of my aircraft, and then it was gone. I never saw what it was. There was no effect upon the flight characteristics of my aircraft, so I climbed to cruise altitude and proceeded to my destination, approximately 70 mi away. Upon landing, I discovered some damage to the propeller spinner, slight damage to the leading edges of the propeller, and some damage to the leading edge of the left wing outboard of the stall warning horn. I can only assume that I had struck an unmarked wire strung across the river. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had been suspended by the FAA as a result of this low level flight. The FAA first issued an emergency revocation of his pilot certificate which he appealed and the sanction was reduced to a 9 month suspension. He was operating a cessna 207 and believes that not only will he never do this again, but would like to warn others of the dangers of this one flight. He further stated that most pilots he knows have done this same thing at one time or another and hopes that they will learn how it can either ruin them physically, or their flying career, and possible other persons lives. It was suggested that he volunteer to speak at FAA accident prevention functions!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL STRUCK A WIRE OVER A RIVER BED DURING A VERY LOW LEVEL CIVIL FLT.

Narrative: ON JUN/FRI/95 I DEPARTED STELLAR AIRPARK AT XX00. THE DAY WAS CLR, ABOUT 30 MI, AND VERY SMOOTH. I CHOSE TO FLY VFR OVER THE GILA RIVER DOWN TO YUMA WHICH STARTED AT THE PAINTED DAM. THE PAX ENJOYED IT SO MUCH I DECIDED TO TAKE THE PLANE DOWN TO ABOUT 50 FT AGL ABOVE THE WATER. I HAD PASSED OVER A PWR LINE PREVIOUSLY BUT HAD NOT SEEN ANOTHER ONE FOR MI, SO I CONTINUED LOW WITH CONFIDENCE. ALL OF A SUDDEN I FELT SOMETHING STRIKE THE FRONT OF MY ACFT, AND THEN IT WAS GONE. I NEVER SAW WHAT IT WAS. THERE WAS NO EFFECT UPON THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF MY ACFT, SO I CLBED TO CRUISE ALT AND PROCEEDED TO MY DEST, APPROX 70 MI AWAY. UPON LNDG, I DISCOVERED SOME DAMAGE TO THE PROP SPINNER, SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGES OF THE PROP, AND SOME DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING OUTBOARD OF THE STALL WARNING HORN. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT I HAD STRUCK AN UNMARKED WIRE STRUNG ACROSS THE RIVER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN SUSPENDED BY THE FAA AS A RESULT OF THIS LOW LEVEL FLT. THE FAA FIRST ISSUED AN EMER REVOCATION OF HIS PLT CERTIFICATE WHICH HE APPEALED AND THE SANCTION WAS REDUCED TO A 9 MONTH SUSPENSION. HE WAS OPERATING A CESSNA 207 AND BELIEVES THAT NOT ONLY WILL HE NEVER DO THIS AGAIN, BUT WOULD LIKE TO WARN OTHERS OF THE DANGERS OF THIS ONE FLT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT MOST PLTS HE KNOWS HAVE DONE THIS SAME THING AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER AND HOPES THAT THEY WILL LEARN HOW IT CAN EITHER RUIN THEM PHYSICALLY, OR THEIR FLYING CAREER, AND POSSIBLE OTHER PERSONS LIVES. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT HE VOLUNTEER TO SPEAK AT FAA ACCIDENT PREVENTION FUNCTIONS!

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.