Narrative:

On 9/fri/88 I was contacted about making a low altitude pass over oilton, ok, to start the local parade on sat morning. I was contacted again the next morning and agreed to make the pass. I arrived at bristow, ok, airport at XA00 am. My son went in the aircraft with me as a passenger. A thorough preflight was performed and the run up was all normal. Altimeter was set at 810' on bristow runway 17. I departed bristow at XA45 am and arrived over oilton at XB01 am. I circled at 2500' until I was notified that the parade was ready to start. I was west of town approximately 5 mi when I received the call. I reduced airspeed from 130 mph to 120 mph. The RPM reading was 2300. I descended until the aircraft was in level flight at approximately 200' AGL. As I arrived over the west end of town and over the parade, the plane began to loose altitude. Since I made no change of the controls, I believe I encountered a pocket of soft/dead air. I immediately added power to 2400 RPM and pulled the nose up to gain altitude. The aircraft encountered power lines at the intersection of main st and B ave. I climbed out to 2500'. I flew to bristow and landed. An inspection of the plane revealed minor damage to the propeller spinner. I called oilton and was informed that there were no injuries. The damage to the power lines was estimated at $750. Terrain at the scene is flat, residential/commercial with native trees growing in the residential areas, and along main st. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that parade coordinator talked with him the night before the incident and then again the morning it happened. No permits were obtained by either the parade coordinator or the reporter. Reporter did not have nor did he consult a sectional chart, says he is familiar with the area and the town. Fortunately no one in the aircraft or on the ground was injured. FAA has investigated the incident and the reporter was expecting a letter from FAA stating their intentions very soon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKING LOW PASS OVER MAIN STREET OF SMALL TOWN TO START PARADE, HIT HIGH POWER LINES, RETURNED TO ARPT.

Narrative: ON 9/FRI/88 I WAS CONTACTED ABOUT MAKING A LOW ALT PASS OVER OILTON, OK, TO START THE LCL PARADE ON SAT MORNING. I WAS CONTACTED AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING AND AGREED TO MAKE THE PASS. I ARRIVED AT BRISTOW, OK, ARPT AT XA00 AM. MY SON WENT IN THE ACFT WITH ME AS A PAX. A THOROUGH PREFLT WAS PERFORMED AND THE RUN UP WAS ALL NORMAL. ALTIMETER WAS SET AT 810' ON BRISTOW RWY 17. I DEPARTED BRISTOW AT XA45 AM AND ARRIVED OVER OILTON AT XB01 AM. I CIRCLED AT 2500' UNTIL I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE PARADE WAS READY TO START. I WAS W OF TOWN APPROX 5 MI WHEN I RECEIVED THE CALL. I REDUCED AIRSPD FROM 130 MPH TO 120 MPH. THE RPM READING WAS 2300. I DSNDED UNTIL THE ACFT WAS IN LEVEL FLT AT APPROX 200' AGL. AS I ARRIVED OVER THE W END OF TOWN AND OVER THE PARADE, THE PLANE BEGAN TO LOOSE ALT. SINCE I MADE NO CHANGE OF THE CONTROLS, I BELIEVE I ENCOUNTERED A POCKET OF SOFT/DEAD AIR. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR TO 2400 RPM AND PULLED THE NOSE UP TO GAIN ALT. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED PWR LINES AT THE INTXN OF MAIN ST AND B AVE. I CLBED OUT TO 2500'. I FLEW TO BRISTOW AND LANDED. AN INSPECTION OF THE PLANE REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROP SPINNER. I CALLED OILTON AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DAMAGE TO THE PWR LINES WAS ESTIMATED AT $750. TERRAIN AT THE SCENE IS FLAT, RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL WITH NATIVE TREES GROWING IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND ALONG MAIN ST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT PARADE COORDINATOR TALKED WITH HIM THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND THEN AGAIN THE MORNING IT HAPPENED. NO PERMITS WERE OBTAINED BY EITHER THE PARADE COORDINATOR OR THE RPTR. RPTR DID NOT HAVE NOR DID HE CONSULT A SECTIONAL CHART, SAYS HE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND THE TOWN. FORTUNATELY NO ONE IN THE ACFT OR ON THE GND WAS INJURED. FAA HAS INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND THE RPTR WAS EXPECTING A LETTER FROM FAA STATING THEIR INTENTIONS VERY SOON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.