Kitfox 4 pilot makes forced landing on a highway after in-flight contact with a power line.

Attributes
ACN	616152
Time
Date	200404
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 975 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	616152
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I departed ZZZ at XA00Z with a right downwind departure to the west. I crossed the valley to the foothills, a desolate and nearly uninhabited area to the coast, following the highway. While climbing with the ascending terrain, my propeller struck an unmarked and uncharted power line. 1 1/2 blades broke away. I immediately shut down the engine and landed on a clear stretch of the highway. The propeller and the landing gear were damaged. Minor bruises to the pilot. In this case the power line was perfectly masked by the background terrain. I saw the wire less than 1 second before contact. The lesson from this event is to never fly below the ridge line even in desolate landscape. Ball markers or streamers on the power line would have prevented this or a future situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KITFOX 4 PLT MAKES FORCED LNDG ON A HWY AFTER INFLT CONTACT WITH A PWR LINE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ AT XA00Z WITH A R DOWNWIND DEP TO THE W. I CROSSED THE VALLEY TO THE FOOTHILLS, A DESOLATE AND NEARLY UNINHABITED AREA TO THE COAST, FOLLOWING THE HWY. WHILE CLBING WITH THE ASCENDING TERRAIN, MY PROP STRUCK AN UNMARKED AND UNCHARTED PWR LINE. 1 1/2 BLADES BROKE AWAY. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND LANDED ON A CLR STRETCH OF THE HWY. THE PROP AND THE LNDG GEAR WERE DAMAGED. MINOR BRUISES TO THE PLT. IN THIS CASE THE PWR LINE WAS PERFECTLY MASKED BY THE BACKGROUND TERRAIN. I SAW THE WIRE LESS THAN 1 SECOND BEFORE CONTACT. THE LESSON FROM THIS EVENT IS TO NEVER FLY BELOW THE RIDGE LINE EVEN IN DESOLATE LANDSCAPE. BALL MARKERS OR STREAMERS ON THE PWR LINE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OR A FUTURE SIT.

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.