Narrative:

On final approach of a simulated engine out to a grass strip, a gust dropped the airplane into power lines. The power lines were obscured by a lone tree and are, by nature, hard or impossible to see in time to avoid. I elected to fly through them in control, rather than make abrupt, in vain, maneuvers. The propeller cut the wires leaving the plane 28 degrees left wing low and 15 degrees right yaw. Full left rudder and right aileron recovered the plane just in time to flare when a second gust put the touchdown in the right (south) 1/2 of the 50 ft runway. Mature corn on the runway edge began hitting the right wingtip as the plane slowed to about 20 mph, dragging it into the corn field. Minimal damage was caused to the plane other than propeller spinner and fairing damage. The power company is going to consider moving the lines. I suggest, if not moved, to paint them international orange and include the orange balls. While the gusts made control difficult, the power line's absence would have negated the incident. The gust was strong and possibly an 'invisible' dust devil.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A STINSON 108, HIGH WING TAILWHEEL ACFT MOMENTARILY LOST CTL WHEN HE STRUCK A PWR LINE DURING A SIMULATED ENG OUT APCH TO A SMALL GRASS STRIP. THE ACFT'S PROP AND WHEEL FAIRINGS WERE DAMAGED.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH OF A SIMULATED ENG OUT TO A GRASS STRIP, A GUST DROPPED THE AIRPLANE INTO PWR LINES. THE PWR LINES WERE OBSCURED BY A LONE TREE AND ARE, BY NATURE, HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IN TIME TO AVOID. I ELECTED TO FLY THROUGH THEM IN CTL, RATHER THAN MAKE ABRUPT, IN VAIN, MANEUVERS. THE PROP CUT THE WIRES LEAVING THE PLANE 28 DEGS L WING LOW AND 15 DEGS R YAW. FULL L RUDDER AND R AILERON RECOVERED THE PLANE JUST IN TIME TO FLARE WHEN A SECOND GUST PUT THE TOUCHDOWN IN THE R (S) 1/2 OF THE 50 FT RWY. MATURE CORN ON THE RWY EDGE BEGAN HITTING THE R WINGTIP AS THE PLANE SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH, DRAGGING IT INTO THE CORN FIELD. MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE PLANE OTHER THAN PROP SPINNER AND FAIRING DAMAGE. THE PWR COMPANY IS GOING TO CONSIDER MOVING THE LINES. I SUGGEST, IF NOT MOVED, TO PAINT THEM INTL ORANGE AND INCLUDE THE ORANGE BALLS. WHILE THE GUSTS MADE CTL DIFFICULT, THE PWR LINE'S ABSENCE WOULD HAVE NEGATED THE INCIDENT. THE GUST WAS STRONG AND POSSIBLY AN 'INVISIBLE' DUST DEVIL.

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.