Pilot of an agriculture turboprop sel struck a wire during a spray run over a potato field causing a...

Attributes
ACN	374285
Time
Date	199707
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : u56
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl bound lower : 10 agl bound upper : 20
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Other
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3540 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	374285
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Hit power line while spraying a field. The field was on the edge of town (ririe, identification). The power line was strung across the center of the field with absolutely no visual clues. The pole it was connected to was in the center of a tree that was not visible from the air. The ht of the power line was such that it blended in with the ground clutter of the town. Minor damage to aircraft (cracked windscreen). No injuries. Problem could have been avoided if: a) had made personal visual inspection of field on the ground, B) was informed by grower about the hazard, and C) some type of visual identify was placed on line. An airborne inspection was made before flight was attempted in the field. Absolutely could not see the line from the air because the connecting pole was hidden in the tree. This power line was not in use and hadn't been in use for yrs so it wasn't connected to anything but the pole in the tree.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AGRICULTURE TURBOPROP SEL STRUCK A WIRE DURING A SPRAY RUN OVER A POTATO FIELD CAUSING A CRACKED WINDSHIELD TO THE ACFT, BUT NO INJURY TO THE PLT.

Narrative: HIT PWR LINE WHILE SPRAYING A FIELD. THE FIELD WAS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (RIRIE, ID). THE PWR LINE WAS STRUNG ACROSS THE CTR OF THE FIELD WITH ABSOLUTELY NO VISUAL CLUES. THE POLE IT WAS CONNECTED TO WAS IN THE CTR OF A TREE THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE AIR. THE HT OF THE PWR LINE WAS SUCH THAT IT BLENDED IN WITH THE GND CLUTTER OF THE TOWN. MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT (CRACKED WINDSCREEN). NO INJURIES. PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: A) HAD MADE PERSONAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF FIELD ON THE GND, B) WAS INFORMED BY GROWER ABOUT THE HAZARD, AND C) SOME TYPE OF VISUAL IDENT WAS PLACED ON LINE. AN AIRBORNE INSPECTION WAS MADE BEFORE FLT WAS ATTEMPTED IN THE FIELD. ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT SEE THE LINE FROM THE AIR BECAUSE THE CONNECTING POLE WAS HIDDEN IN THE TREE. THIS PWR LINE WAS NOT IN USE AND HADN'T BEEN IN USE FOR YRS SO IT WASN'T CONNECTED TO ANYTHING BUT THE POLE IN THE TREE.

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.

Pilot of an agriculture turboprop sel struck a wire during a spray run over a potato field causing a cracked windshield to the aircraft, but no injury to the pilot.