Narrative:

I was using the GPS-a approach to guntersville; al (8a1) as a visual reference to locate and land at guntersville airport; al (8a1) in night visual conditions. The airport is located along the tennessee river's edge. The approach chart shows the approach lined up over the river. I had the airport in sight and was lined up with the runway 21 over a dark area of the river. The runway field length is 3368 ft and 613 ft elevation. The MDA at the missed approach point is 1540 ft; 1/2 mi from the runway threshold. I was in visual conditions and descended below the MDA before reaching the missed approach. This was a nearly fatal mistake. Descending through about 1050 ft MSL; I noticed a dim silvery vertical silhouette about 150 ft to my right at the same altitude. I immediately initiated an emergency climb with full power and best angle of climb. After climbing over the obstacle; I continued the approach and landed at guntersville. The silvery vertical silhouette was 1 of 2 unlit towers on either side of the tennessee river supporting high tension electrical lines across the river. The towers are published at 950 ft MSL. The towers are not illuminated. I suspect the tower I saw was outlined by moonlight; the stars; and nearby city lights. I am an instructor and I teach never to go below minimums. Several factors may have played a role in this chain of events: fatigue from a long flight; the planned departure was delayed to 3 hours due to WX. The original plan was to complete the flight well before dark. Instead we landed well after dark. The GPS receiver had just come out of the shop; and no longer had the route tracking display. I found this distracting; adding to the workload. Contributing to the problem was the fact that the guntersville; al; approach plate has 2 fixes with apparently the same name 'domow' -- one 2.1 mi before the other and each with a different minimum altitude. The incident could have been prevented by 1 factor alone -- not going below the MDA. Contributing factors were: 1) lack of strobe lights on the 2 towers off the approach end of the runway on either side of the river. 2) GPS receiver not fully tested and functioning after repairs. 3) confusion over apparently having the same name for 2 separate waypoints on the approach chart. 4) late start; causing unplanned after dark arrival. 5) no visual GS lights. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that he has operated out of this airport previously and was aware of the power lines. Their existence had slipped his mind until he saw them glint in the STAR light; and this memory produced his quick reaction. He believes these towers should be lighted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH PWR LINES DURING NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO 8A1.

Narrative: I WAS USING THE GPS-A APCH TO GUNTERSVILLE; AL (8A1) AS A VISUAL REF TO LOCATE AND LAND AT GUNTERSVILLE ARPT; AL (8A1) IN NIGHT VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE ARPT IS LOCATED ALONG THE TENNESSEE RIVER'S EDGE. THE APCH CHART SHOWS THE APCH LINED UP OVER THE RIVER. I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE RWY 21 OVER A DARK AREA OF THE RIVER. THE RWY FIELD LENGTH IS 3368 FT AND 613 FT ELEVATION. THE MDA AT THE MISSED APCH POINT IS 1540 FT; 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. I WAS IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND DSNDED BELOW THE MDA BEFORE REACHING THE MISSED APCH. THIS WAS A NEARLY FATAL MISTAKE. DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 1050 FT MSL; I NOTICED A DIM SILVERY VERT SILHOUETTE ABOUT 150 FT TO MY R AT THE SAME ALT. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AN EMER CLB WITH FULL PWR AND BEST ANGLE OF CLB. AFTER CLBING OVER THE OBSTACLE; I CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED AT GUNTERSVILLE. THE SILVERY VERT SILHOUETTE WAS 1 OF 2 UNLIT TWRS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER SUPPORTING HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL LINES ACROSS THE RIVER. THE TWRS ARE PUBLISHED AT 950 FT MSL. THE TWRS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED. I SUSPECT THE TWR I SAW WAS OUTLINED BY MOONLIGHT; THE STARS; AND NEARBY CITY LIGHTS. I AM AN INSTRUCTOR AND I TEACH NEVER TO GO BELOW MINIMUMS. SEVERAL FACTORS MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS: FATIGUE FROM A LONG FLT; THE PLANNED DEP WAS DELAYED TO 3 HRS DUE TO WX. THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO COMPLETE THE FLT WELL BEFORE DARK. INSTEAD WE LANDED WELL AFTER DARK. THE GPS RECEIVER HAD JUST COME OUT OF THE SHOP; AND NO LONGER HAD THE RTE TRACKING DISPLAY. I FOUND THIS DISTRACTING; ADDING TO THE WORKLOAD. CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB WAS THE FACT THAT THE GUNTERSVILLE; AL; APCH PLATE HAS 2 FIXES WITH APPARENTLY THE SAME NAME 'DOMOW' -- ONE 2.1 MI BEFORE THE OTHER AND EACH WITH A DIFFERENT MINIMUM ALT. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 1 FACTOR ALONE -- NOT GOING BELOW THE MDA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) LACK OF STROBE LIGHTS ON THE 2 TWRS OFF THE APCH END OF THE RWY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. 2) GPS RECEIVER NOT FULLY TESTED AND FUNCTIONING AFTER REPAIRS. 3) CONFUSION OVER APPARENTLY HAVING THE SAME NAME FOR 2 SEPARATE WAYPOINTS ON THE APCH CHART. 4) LATE START; CAUSING UNPLANNED AFTER DARK ARR. 5) NO VISUAL GS LIGHTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS OPERATED OUT OF THIS ARPT PREVIOUSLY AND WAS AWARE OF THE PWR LINES. THEIR EXISTENCE HAD SLIPPED HIS MIND UNTIL HE SAW THEM GLINT IN THE STAR LIGHT; AND THIS MEMORY PRODUCED HIS QUICK REACTION. HE BELIEVES THESE TWRS SHOULD BE LIGHTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.