Narrative:

I am a member of a club which has several airplanes available for members' use after proper chkout meeting all insurance requirements. One of the club aircraft is a piper cheyenne. I wished to be checked out in the cheyenne and was considering a potential purchase of this aircraft for the company that I work for. I had made arrangements for an instructional flight and demonstration of the cheyenne a week or so in advance of the scheduled flight. I had taken 1 previous familiarization instructional flight in the aircraft. This particular flight was to be from dupage to palwaukee to pick up 2 of my co-workers and then on to pittsburgh. I checked the approach plates and airport diagram for both palwaukee and pittsburgh for familiarization. I checked with FSS for a WX briefing at approximately XA20 for the flight to palwaukee then on to pittsburgh. I met my flight instructor. My instructor had checked equipment, charts and flight manual. He rechked WX and filed IFR flight plan for the trip from palwaukee to pittsburgh. He and I did a walkaround and a preflight of the aircraft and then got into the aircraft for the leg to palwaukee. I sat in the left seat and he sat in the right. Since this was an instructional flight, I was to operate the controls and he to handle the radios. WX at palwaukee was 7000 ft and 10 mi, winds at 040 degrees, 15 KTS gusting to 22 KTS. We departed dupage VFR at approximately XA40 and headed to palwaukee. En route, we listened to palwaukee AWOS and rechked winds. We agreed on using runway 6 due to winds. My instructor radioed our intention to land on runway 6, 5 mi out, as the tower was still closed. I set up for approach by reducing power, extending 1 notch of flaps, and extending the gear. He used the microphone to activate the runway lights on runway 6. I was lined up for what appeared to be a normal approach to runway 6. Runway 6 is relatively narrow and the lights were quite bright against the dark ground. The approach appeared normal until the right main gear struck a power pole at the approach end of runway 6. We continued the approach and touched down on the centerline beyond the displaced threshold of runway 6. After crossing the runway 6/16 intersection, the damaged right gear caused the aircraft to veer off to the right. Instructor shut down the engines and notified the airport that we were ok. No one was injured. We got out of the aircraft and noticed the scissors connection of the right main gear had broken allowing the gear to turn 90 degrees. The propellers also were chipped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 FLT CREW HITS PWR LINES ON APCH TO PWK.

Narrative: I AM A MEMBER OF A CLUB WHICH HAS SEVERAL AIRPLANES AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS' USE AFTER PROPER CHKOUT MEETING ALL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. ONE OF THE CLUB ACFT IS A PIPER CHEYENNE. I WISHED TO BE CHKED OUT IN THE CHEYENNE AND WAS CONSIDERING A POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF THIS ACFT FOR THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR. I HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE CHEYENNE A WK OR SO IN ADVANCE OF THE SCHEDULED FLT. I HAD TAKEN 1 PREVIOUS FAMILIARIZATION INSTRUCTIONAL FLT IN THE ACFT. THIS PARTICULAR FLT WAS TO BE FROM DUPAGE TO PALWAUKEE TO PICK UP 2 OF MY CO-WORKERS AND THEN ON TO PITTSBURGH. I CHKED THE APCH PLATES AND ARPT DIAGRAM FOR BOTH PALWAUKEE AND PITTSBURGH FOR FAMILIARIZATION. I CHKED WITH FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING AT APPROX XA20 FOR THE FLT TO PALWAUKEE THEN ON TO PITTSBURGH. I MET MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. MY INSTRUCTOR HAD CHKED EQUIP, CHARTS AND FLT MANUAL. HE RECHKED WX AND FILED IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE TRIP FROM PALWAUKEE TO PITTSBURGH. HE AND I DID A WALKAROUND AND A PREFLT OF THE ACFT AND THEN GOT INTO THE ACFT FOR THE LEG TO PALWAUKEE. I SAT IN THE L SEAT AND HE SAT IN THE R. SINCE THIS WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT, I WAS TO OPERATE THE CTLS AND HE TO HANDLE THE RADIOS. WX AT PALWAUKEE WAS 7000 FT AND 10 MI, WINDS AT 040 DEGS, 15 KTS GUSTING TO 22 KTS. WE DEPARTED DUPAGE VFR AT APPROX XA40 AND HEADED TO PALWAUKEE. ENRTE, WE LISTENED TO PALWAUKEE AWOS AND RECHKED WINDS. WE AGREED ON USING RWY 6 DUE TO WINDS. MY INSTRUCTOR RADIOED OUR INTENTION TO LAND ON RWY 6, 5 MI OUT, AS THE TWR WAS STILL CLOSED. I SET UP FOR APCH BY REDUCING PWR, EXTENDING 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS, AND EXTENDING THE GEAR. HE USED THE MIKE TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS ON RWY 6. I WAS LINED UP FOR WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL APCH TO RWY 6. RWY 6 IS RELATIVELY NARROW AND THE LIGHTS WERE QUITE BRIGHT AGAINST THE DARK GND. THE APCH APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL THE R MAIN GEAR STRUCK A PWR POLE AT THE APCH END OF RWY 6. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CTRLINE BEYOND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 6. AFTER XING THE RWY 6/16 INTXN, THE DAMAGED R GEAR CAUSED THE ACFT TO VEER OFF TO THE R. INSTRUCTOR SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND NOTIFIED THE ARPT THAT WE WERE OK. NO ONE WAS INJURED. WE GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND NOTICED THE SCISSORS CONNECTION OF THE R MAIN GEAR HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE GEAR TO TURN 90 DEGS. THE PROPS ALSO WERE CHIPPED.

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.