Narrative:

On jan/sat/99, I was flying solo over the area of carbondale, co, in a C172. The intent of the solo was to satisfy the last 2 hours of my prerequisite and to practice for my FAA flight test. I was airborne from glenwood airport. Climbing to an altitude of approximately 9500 ft MSL over the carbondale area, I practiced stalls, figure eights, s- turns and emergency landing procedures. After a couple of simulated emergency lndgs in open fields and an unused runway I recalled that I had been told that the FAA inspector preferred simulated emergency lndgs on roads. I then proceeded to simulate an emergency over a local highway. My intention was to see how a plane could land on a road if there was traffic. I selected the side of the highway with no utilities and flew parallel to the highway watching traffic speed against the aircraft optimum glide speed. When sure that I could land safely I noticed a car pull into the traffic lane where I envisioned my plane landing so I hesitated my ascent as I contemplated this change of events. As I pulled the nose up to climb away I saw a flash out of my left eye and felt the plane shudder momentarily and then continue the ascent. The light utility line I connected with was running across the road and the post was on a high bank (approximately 500 ft bank) to my right. I was not aware of this because I was concentrating on the car. I returned to glenwood airport and landed safely. There did not seem to be any damage to the aircraft except possibly a mark on the passenger strut cover, which my instructor was not sure if it had been there before the incident. My instructor immediately debriefed me on the dangers of low flight. I am very aware of the potential for disaster in this incident and will now simulate my emergencys at a safe altitude. I am also more aware of the operating hts around obstructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT IN A C172 ON TRAINING FLT STRUCK A CABLE AT APPROX 500 FT AGL.

Narrative: ON JAN/SAT/99, I WAS FLYING SOLO OVER THE AREA OF CARBONDALE, CO, IN A C172. THE INTENT OF THE SOLO WAS TO SATISFY THE LAST 2 HRS OF MY PREREQUISITE AND TO PRACTICE FOR MY FAA FLT TEST. I WAS AIRBORNE FROM GLENWOOD ARPT. CLBING TO AN ALT OF APPROX 9500 FT MSL OVER THE CARBONDALE AREA, I PRACTICED STALLS, FIGURE EIGHTS, S- TURNS AND EMER LNDG PROCS. AFTER A COUPLE OF SIMULATED EMER LNDGS IN OPEN FIELDS AND AN UNUSED RWY I RECALLED THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR PREFERRED SIMULATED EMER LNDGS ON ROADS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO SIMULATE AN EMER OVER A LCL HWY. MY INTENTION WAS TO SEE HOW A PLANE COULD LAND ON A ROAD IF THERE WAS TFC. I SELECTED THE SIDE OF THE HWY WITH NO UTILITIES AND FLEW PARALLEL TO THE HWY WATCHING TFC SPD AGAINST THE ACFT OPTIMUM GLIDE SPD. WHEN SURE THAT I COULD LAND SAFELY I NOTICED A CAR PULL INTO THE TFC LANE WHERE I ENVISIONED MY PLANE LNDG SO I HESITATED MY ASCENT AS I CONTEMPLATED THIS CHANGE OF EVENTS. AS I PULLED THE NOSE UP TO CLB AWAY I SAW A FLASH OUT OF MY L EYE AND FELT THE PLANE SHUDDER MOMENTARILY AND THEN CONTINUE THE ASCENT. THE LIGHT UTILITY LINE I CONNECTED WITH WAS RUNNING ACROSS THE ROAD AND THE POST WAS ON A HIGH BANK (APPROX 500 FT BANK) TO MY R. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS BECAUSE I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE CAR. I RETURNED TO GLENWOOD ARPT AND LANDED SAFELY. THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT EXCEPT POSSIBLY A MARK ON THE PAX STRUT COVER, WHICH MY INSTRUCTOR WAS NOT SURE IF IT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE THE INCIDENT. MY INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY DEBRIEFED ME ON THE DANGERS OF LOW FLT. I AM VERY AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN THIS INCIDENT AND WILL NOW SIMULATE MY EMERS AT A SAFE ALT. I AM ALSO MORE AWARE OF THE OPERATING HTS AROUND OBSTRUCTIONS.

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.