WHILE APCHING AN ALASKAN HWY FOR AN OFF ARPT LNDG THE RPTR FLEW THROUGH A POWER LINE AT ABOUT 30 FT ABOVE THE ROAD.

Date: 1996-04 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-cftt-cfit

Synopsis

WHILE APCHING AN ALASKAN HWY FOR AN OFF ARPT LNDG THE RPTR FLEW THROUGH A POWER LINE AT ABOUT 30 FT ABOVE THE ROAD.

Narrative

I WAS ASKED BY A FRIEND TO PICK HIM UP AT THIS SECTION OF THE ROAD. HE IS A PLT AND TOLD ME HE HAD LANDED THERE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ANOTHER PLT I TALKED TO ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRIP ALSO SAID HE HAD USED THE SAME SPOT. I HAD NOT LANDED THERE BEFORE; ALTHOUGH I ROUTINELY MAKE OFF ARPT LNDGS IN ALASKA ON WHEELS; SKIS; AND FLOATS. THE SPOT ON THE ROAD LOOKED GOOD WHEN I FLEW OVER; NO TFC IN EITHER DIRECTION; A CLR SECTION OF ROAD BTWN SOME SIGNS ON EITHER END OF THE PROPOSED AREA WHICH WAS APPROX 5000 FT IN LENGTH. I MADE THE USUAL PASSES OVER THE PROPOSED LNDG AREA AT 1000 FT; 200 FT; AND WAS STARTING TO MAKE A LOW APCH AT ABOUT 50 FT TO MAKE THE FINAL PASS BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION WHETHER I WOULD LAND OR NOT. ON THAT PASS; I GOT TOO LOW AND DID NOT SEE THE POWER LINE ACROSS THE ROAD BEFORE I HIT IT. THE MAIN GEAR CAUGHT THE LINE WHICH INSTANTLY BROKE; AND I CONTINUED FLYING; GIVING THE ENG FULL THROTTLE AS SOON AS I FELT IT HIT THE LINE. I CHKED ALL FLT CTLS VISUALLY AND BY MOVING THEM. NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF ORDER AND ALSO THE LNDG GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PROB. I CIRCLED BACK OVER THE AREA WHILE I CLBED OUT AND OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A TELEPHONE LINE CREW CHK THE AREA TO MAKE SURE THE LINE WAS OFF THE ROAD. I FLEW BACK TO MERRIL FIELD AT ANCHORAGE AND STARTED MAKING CALLS TO FIND OUT WHOSE LINE IT WAS SO I COULD LET THEM KNOW WHO BROKE THEIR LINE. I ALSO HAD MY MECH INSPECT THE PLANE. THERE WAS PAINT RUBBED OFF THE LNDG GEAR; BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. DAMAGE TO THE POWER LINE COST $9069.00 TO REPAIR. IT WAS REPAIRED THAT DAY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.