Accident Overview
On December 31, 2010, at approximately 1055 Pacific standard time, a Quest Kodiak 100, registration N702FW, impacted a set of power lines strung across the Smith River about five miles northeast of Reedsport, Oregon. The aircraft, owned and operated by the United States Department of Interior, was conducting a Public Use migratory waterfowl aerial observation flight. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured, but the airplane sustained substantial damage.
Flight Details
The flight departed North Bend Regional Airport, North Bend, Oregon, at about 1000, with a planned destination of Astoria, Oregon. The pilot filed and activated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot, before commencing the low-level observation flight up the Smith River, he performed a high reconnaissance flight along the route at 500 feet above ground level (AGL) to search for obstructions. During this reconnaissance, the crew identified several hazards but did not see the power lines that were later struck. The pilot then began the observation flight at an altitude between 120 and 150 feet AGL. When approximately five miles northeast of Reedsport, the airplane impacted the power lines. The pilot reported seeing the power line immediately before impact but lacked sufficient time to take evasive action. After the impact, the pilot checked the airplane's controllability and decided to return to North Bend Regional Airport for landing.
Damage
The collision with the power line caused a rip in the skin and deformation of one aileron, along with several chunks of metal torn from the leading edge of the propeller.
Crew Information
The mission was flown by a pilot/biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Region 7 (Alaska), a biologist/observer from FWS Region 9 (Minnesota), and a retired FWS biologist/observer (contractor) from Alaska. Only the biologist/observer from Region 9 had previously flown a Migratory Waterfowl Survey (MWS) in the Pacific Region. The pilot and the Region 7 biologist/observer were unfamiliar with both the survey track lines and the associated hazards.
Hazard Awareness
The investigation determined that the pilot did not possess a hazards map for the low-level survey route. Such a map, which depicted the power lines that were struck, existed and had been sent to the pilot as part of a multi-attachment email.