A G164 (ag CAT) pilot struck a power line while spraying a field).

Attributes
ACN	520254
Time
Date	200108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	AG-CAT Turbo
Operating Under FAR Part	other : 137
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8300 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	520254
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : investigated other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This statement concerns a crop dusting incident with a grumman ag CAT at edmore, mi, on aug/xa/01. I was making a spray pass headed north on the west edge of a potato field which had a wire and telephone poles running along the edge. There was a wire located in the middle of the field that crossed west to east and was connected to the wire I was flying along on the west edge. As I was making my spray pass, I became confused as to the exact location of the wire in the middle of the field, which I had planned on going under. As I approached the wire, the top wing of the airplane blocked my view of it. I thought I had gone under it, but when started to pull out of the field it was directly in front of me. I struck it with the propeller and the upper wing. After the wire broke, the aircraft was running rough and had almost no power. I made an emergency landing in a potato field northwest of the field I was spraying, and the airplane went on its back because the ground was muddy. The FAA ruled this event an incident. It would be better to come in over the top of the wire in the middle of the field and fly away from it so a clear view of it is maintained.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A G164 (AG CAT) PLT STRUCK A PWR LINE WHILE SPRAYING A FIELD).

Narrative: THIS STATEMENT CONCERNS A CROP DUSTING INCIDENT WITH A GRUMMAN AG CAT AT EDMORE, MI, ON AUG/XA/01. I WAS MAKING A SPRAY PASS HEADED N ON THE W EDGE OF A POTATO FIELD WHICH HAD A WIRE AND TELEPHONE POLES RUNNING ALONG THE EDGE. THERE WAS A WIRE LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD THAT CROSSED W TO E AND WAS CONNECTED TO THE WIRE I WAS FLYING ALONG ON THE W EDGE. AS I WAS MAKING MY SPRAY PASS, I BECAME CONFUSED AS TO THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE WIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, WHICH I HAD PLANNED ON GOING UNDER. AS I APCHED THE WIRE, THE TOP WING OF THE AIRPLANE BLOCKED MY VIEW OF IT. I THOUGHT I HAD GONE UNDER IT, BUT WHEN STARTED TO PULL OUT OF THE FIELD IT WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I STRUCK IT WITH THE PROP AND THE UPPER WING. AFTER THE WIRE BROKE, THE ACFT WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND HAD ALMOST NO PWR. I MADE AN EMER LNDG IN A POTATO FIELD NW OF THE FIELD I WAS SPRAYING, AND THE AIRPLANE WENT ON ITS BACK BECAUSE THE GND WAS MUDDY. THE FAA RULED THIS EVENT AN INCIDENT. IT WOULD BE BETTER TO COME IN OVER THE TOP OF THE WIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AND FLY AWAY FROM IT SO A CLR VIEW OF IT IS MAINTAINED.

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.