Narrative:

After successful IFR flight, and visual approach following VASI to a successful landing, runway 15 at chs, a cable suspended about 3+ inches above the surface was crossed. I applied power and aft yoke to prevent fouling the gear and propeller, successfully. The cable snagged the tailskid, significantly damaging tailskid and fuselage members near the stabilator and rudder. Other planes in the area were also damaged. Tower uncooperative. Both section chart and ATIS and approach plates do not provide warning. Plate told of arresting gear as no effect for civil aviation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was flying a PA24-250. He is extremely concerned that someone will get killed before any action is taken. When his aircraft was taken into the hangar there were several other aircraft there waiting for repairs. One had an engine torn off, one had a propeller damaged, one had the gear torn off. He said someone will get killed and that should not happen. When he spoke to the tower personnel they indicated they would not issue an alert and they would not put the information on the ATIS. This is a joint use airport with the air force and when reporter spoke to the officer at the air force he was told they would not do anything about it either. Analyst asked if there were any markings on the runway to indicate the arresting cable and he responded absolutely no markings of any kind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 HAS DAMAGE TO TAIL SKID, FUSELAGE MEMBERS AND RUDDER WHEN LNDG OVER AN ARRESTING CABLE ACROSS THE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER SUCCESSFUL IFR FLT, AND VISUAL APCH FOLLOWING VASI TO A SUCCESSFUL LNDG, RWY 15 AT CHS, A CABLE SUSPENDED ABOUT 3+ INCHES ABOVE THE SURFACE WAS CROSSED. I APPLIED PWR AND AFT YOKE TO PREVENT FOULING THE GEAR AND PROP, SUCCESSFULLY. THE CABLE SNAGGED THE TAILSKID, SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGING TAILSKID AND FUSELAGE MEMBERS NEAR THE STABILATOR AND RUDDER. OTHER PLANES IN THE AREA WERE ALSO DAMAGED. TWR UNCOOPERATIVE. BOTH SECTION CHART AND ATIS AND APCH PLATES DO NOT PROVIDE WARNING. PLATE TOLD OF ARRESTING GEAR AS NO EFFECT FOR CIVIL AVIATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS FLYING A PA24-250. HE IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN. WHEN HIS ACFT WAS TAKEN INTO THE HANGAR THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT THERE WAITING FOR REPAIRS. ONE HAD AN ENG TORN OFF, ONE HAD A PROP DAMAGED, ONE HAD THE GEAR TORN OFF. HE SAID SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. WHEN HE SPOKE TO THE TWR PERSONNEL THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT ISSUE AN ALERT AND THEY WOULD NOT PUT THE INFO ON THE ATIS. THIS IS A JOINT USE ARPT WITH THE AIR FORCE AND WHEN RPTR SPOKE TO THE OFFICER AT THE AIR FORCE HE WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EITHER. ANALYST ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY MARKINGS ON THE RWY TO INDICATE THE ARRESTING CABLE AND HE RESPONDED ABSOLUTELY NO MARKINGS OF ANY KIND.

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.