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DHC2 pilot was informed after the fact that he may have hit and severed power lines during a low pass over a lake in preparation for a photographic mission. The pilot noted the contact but thought it was a bird.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 916571 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201010 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.VOR |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Beaver DHC-2 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Route In Use | Direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Sea Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 5500 Flight Crew Type 60 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Inflight Event / Encounter Object |
Narrative:
During a positioning flight in this amphibious aircraft in preparation for a photographic session on the lake; the aircraft collided with and severed power lines following a low pass over the lake that was made to observe the area of the planned photographic session. Not having seen the power lines during a higher flyby; the pilot assumed that this was a collision with a bird or birds; but no evidence of such was found after landing. During the photographic session the following day a local utility employee asked about the severed power lines; which alerted the pilot to the nature of the incident. Further examination revealed nicks in the leading edge of the propeller blades; assumed caused by the severing of the power lines. Upon subsequent reflection; it is possible that the flights to the lake and onto our destination may have been in an unairworthy aircraft; even though the pilot felt that the propeller nicks were such that continued flight was not unsafe. Contributing to the collision with the power lines were the pilot's not having seen the wires during the flyby as well as the flight path having been toward the setting sun when the collision occurred. Correction could entail marking the power lines on aeronautical charts; larger/more visible balls on the wires; and reemphasize during recurring training on the danger such power lines pose; particularly to seaplanes. While it is not yet clear whether the aircraft was rendered unairworthy by the collision; emphasis on this issue during training and in periodic FAA safety publications will keep the relevant regulations in pilots' minds. This pilot was distracted by the potentially tragic consequences of the collision with the power lines to the complete exclusion of consideration of the airworthiness issues.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DHC2 pilot was informed after the fact that he may have hit and severed power lines during a low pass over a lake in preparation for a photographic mission. The pilot noted the contact but thought it was a bird.
Narrative: During a positioning flight in this amphibious aircraft in preparation for a photographic session on the lake; the aircraft collided with and severed power lines following a low pass over the lake that was made to observe the area of the planned photographic session. Not having seen the power lines during a higher flyby; the pilot assumed that this was a collision with a bird or birds; but no evidence of such was found after landing. During the photographic session the following day a local utility employee asked about the severed power lines; which alerted the pilot to the nature of the incident. Further examination revealed nicks in the leading edge of the propeller blades; assumed caused by the severing of the power lines. Upon subsequent reflection; it is possible that the flights to the lake and onto our destination may have been in an unairworthy aircraft; even though the pilot felt that the propeller nicks were such that continued flight was not unsafe. Contributing to the collision with the power lines were the pilot's not having seen the wires during the flyby as well as the flight path having been toward the setting sun when the collision occurred. Correction could entail marking the power lines on aeronautical charts; larger/more visible balls on the wires; and reemphasize during recurring training on the danger such power lines pose; particularly to seaplanes. While it is not yet clear whether the aircraft was rendered unairworthy by the collision; emphasis on this issue during training and in periodic FAA safety publications will keep the relevant regulations in pilots' minds. This pilot was distracted by the potentially tragic consequences of the collision with the power lines to the complete exclusion of consideration of the airworthiness issues.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.