Narrative:

In low level flight descending out of mountainous terrain, I banked my aircraft about 30 degrees north and seconds later, leveled off. I was 30 SM from a remote airport in montana. About 2 seconds later, 2 power lines went over the cockpit window, we saw them and I initiated a slight climb when my aircraft struck the second set of power lines. The aircraft yawed to the right when the lines snapped. I managed directional control, advised the unicom of the incident and proceeded in the dark to the airport. Landed uneventfully. Factors were flying too low, unfamiliar with area and it was too dark to see the wires. Corrective action: keep altitude at acceptable levels to avoid conflict with wire, terrain or other obstacles. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there was very little damage to the aircraft. The wire hit the top of the propeller leaving a slight nick and metal fragments. Had the propeller not taken the hit, reporter feels he and his passenger would have been decapitated. When the wire snapped back it hit the wingtip. He knew exactly what he had hit by the metallic sound which he will never forget. He did not intend to be flying so low. He feels the light at dusk was part of the problem. He flew out of a canyon and believed -- would have bet -- that he was much higher than he was. He was able to maintain directional control and continue on to ennis airport to land in the dark. When FAA asked if he had learned anything, he said a thousand things. First always fly high and give yourself plenty of options. Do not allow yourself to become complacent with resulting errors in judgement. The PIC has full responsibility for the flight and must not kill his friends. Do not fly in unfamiliar territory when losing daylight, etc. Reporter has vowed never to fly low again for the sake of my passenger and myself. 'It is exceedingly dangerous when you don't pay attention -- I damn near killed someone. I am the PIC and must act accordingly.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PF LOW AT DUSK HITS PWR LINE. SLIGHT DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Narrative: IN LOW LEVEL FLT DSNDING OUT OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, I BANKED MY ACFT ABOUT 30 DEGS N AND SECONDS LATER, LEVELED OFF. I WAS 30 SM FROM A REMOTE ARPT IN MONTANA. ABOUT 2 SECONDS LATER, 2 PWR LINES WENT OVER THE COCKPIT WINDOW, WE SAW THEM AND I INITIATED A SLIGHT CLB WHEN MY ACFT STRUCK THE SECOND SET OF PWR LINES. THE ACFT YAWED TO THE R WHEN THE LINES SNAPPED. I MANAGED DIRECTIONAL CTL, ADVISED THE UNICOM OF THE INCIDENT AND PROCEEDED IN THE DARK TO THE ARPT. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. FACTORS WERE FLYING TOO LOW, UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA AND IT WAS TOO DARK TO SEE THE WIRES. CORRECTIVE ACTION: KEEP ALT AT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH WIRE, TERRAIN OR OTHER OBSTACLES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE WIRE HIT THE TOP OF THE PROP LEAVING A SLIGHT NICK AND METAL FRAGMENTS. HAD THE PROP NOT TAKEN THE HIT, RPTR FEELS HE AND HIS PAX WOULD HAVE BEEN DECAPITATED. WHEN THE WIRE SNAPPED BACK IT HIT THE WINGTIP. HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE HAD HIT BY THE METALLIC SOUND WHICH HE WILL NEVER FORGET. HE DID NOT INTEND TO BE FLYING SO LOW. HE FEELS THE LIGHT AT DUSK WAS PART OF THE PROB. HE FLEW OUT OF A CANYON AND BELIEVED -- WOULD HAVE BET -- THAT HE WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN HE WAS. HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL AND CONTINUE ON TO ENNIS ARPT TO LAND IN THE DARK. WHEN FAA ASKED IF HE HAD LEARNED ANYTHING, HE SAID A THOUSAND THINGS. FIRST ALWAYS FLY HIGH AND GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF OPTIONS. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME COMPLACENT WITH RESULTING ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT. THE PIC HAS FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FLT AND MUST NOT KILL HIS FRIENDS. DO NOT FLY IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY WHEN LOSING DAYLIGHT, ETC. RPTR HAS VOWED NEVER TO FLY LOW AGAIN FOR THE SAKE OF MY PAX AND MYSELF. 'IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU DON'T PAY ATTN -- I DAMN NEAR KILLED SOMEONE. I AM THE PIC AND MUST ACT ACCORDINGLY.'

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.