Narrative:

I am a tow pilot for the gliding club, and in 24 years. I have made over 4,000 tows. Throughout that time, the club has had no accidents involving injuries. Recently, however, the utility company has erected poles with electrical lines across the west end of our single runway. These now present a danger to our gliders, should a tow rope break on tow-off to the west or a pilot misjudge final approach from the west. Moreover, landing over them means landing well down our short, 3,000 ft strip, and the returning tow plane must come in even higher, since it's dragging a 200 ft long tow rope. This last situation caused me to snag the wires. I came in high, but, as I passed over the lines, a wind gust slowed me enough that the rope settled on them. There was no damage to the plane, but a line was pulled down. Hoping to have these lines removed (perhaps buried or strung from another direction), we have written to the utility company, FAA, NTSB, and the north.Y. Department of transport, so far without effect. Can we assume public safety comes before business interests? Callback conversation with reporter reveals the following information: the airport, NK25, is a private grass strip airport owned by a farmer and utilized by a local glider club. When the utility company first planned the power line installation the glider club and the farmer asked them to place the lines under ground. They did not heed this request. The prevailing wind is from the southwest but on this day the winds were from the east. Reporter talked with 2 FAA persons. One said that they might not have jurisdiction over the private airport. The other, from the local FSDO, came out and talked with the airport owner. They counseled the club to contact the state aeronautics board. This was done, including sending letters to the NTSB, an aircraft organization and a local attorney. No answers have been received as yet. The utility company has repaired the wire but has not contacted the flying club.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA-25-235 GLIDER TOW PLT SNAGS A POWER LINE THAT IS LOCATED 400 FT FROM THE END OF THE EAST LNDG RWY AT NK25, NY.

Narrative: I AM A TOW PILOT FOR THE GLIDING CLUB, AND IN 24 YEARS. I HAVE MADE OVER 4,000 TOWS. THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, THE CLUB HAS HAD NO ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INJURIES. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, THE UTILITY COMPANY HAS ERECTED POLES WITH ELECTRICAL LINES ACROSS THE WEST END OF OUR SINGLE RWY. THESE NOW PRESENT A DANGER TO OUR GLIDERS, SHOULD A TOW ROPE BREAK ON TOW-OFF TO THE WEST OR A PILOT MISJUDGE FINAL APPROACH FROM THE WEST. MOREOVER, LANDING OVER THEM MEANS LANDING WELL DOWN OUR SHORT, 3,000 FT STRIP, AND THE RETURNING TOW PLANE MUST COME IN EVEN HIGHER, SINCE IT'S DRAGGING A 200 FT LONG TOW ROPE. THIS LAST SITUATION CAUSED ME TO SNAG THE WIRES. I CAME IN HIGH, BUT, AS I PASSED OVER THE LINES, A WIND GUST SLOWED ME ENOUGH THAT THE ROPE SETTLED ON THEM. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE, BUT A LINE WAS PULLED DOWN. HOPING TO HAVE THESE LINES REMOVED (PERHAPS BURIED OR STRUNG FROM ANOTHER DIRECTION), WE HAVE WRITTEN TO THE UTILITY COMPANY, FAA, NTSB, AND THE N.Y. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, SO FAR WITHOUT EFFECT. CAN WE ASSUME PUBLIC SAFETY COMES BEFORE BUSINESS INTERESTS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALS THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ARPT, NK25, IS A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP ARPT OWNED BY A FARMER AND UTILIZED BY A LOCAL GLIDER CLUB. WHEN THE UTILITY COMPANY FIRST PLANNED THE POWER LINE INSTALLATION THE GLIDER CLUB AND THE FARMER ASKED THEM TO PLACE THE LINES UNDER GROUND. THEY DID NOT HEED THIS REQUEST. THE PREVAILING WIND IS FROM THE SW BUT ON THIS DAY THE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST. RPTR TALKED WITH 2 FAA PERSONS. ONE SAID THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE PVT ARPT. THE OTHER, FROM THE LOCAL FSDO, CAME OUT AND TALKED WITH THE ARPT OWNER. THEY COUNSELED THE CLUB TO CONTACT THE STATE AERONAUTICS BOARD. THIS WAS DONE, INCLUDING SENDING LETTERS TO THE NTSB, AN ACFT ORGANIZATION AND A LOCAL ATTORNEY. NO ANSWERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AS YET. THE UTILITY COMPANY HAS REPAIRED THE WIRE BUT HAS NOT CONTACTED THE FLYING CLUB.

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.