THE PLT OF A C150 SAILPLANE TOW ACFT HAS HIS TOW ROPE STRIKE A PWR LINE CAUSING A PWR OUTAGE IN THE TOWN. THE POLICE AND THE FAA CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION.

Narrative

MAY/XA/97; K34; GARDNER; KS; APPROX XA00 LCL. EVENTS: ON SUNDAY; 2 CLUB MEMBERS (ONE OWNER AND CFI) PERFORMED FAMILIARIZATION FLTS IN THE C150/150; TO SATISFY RECENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR OP AND FOR BASIC FAMILIARIZATION. UPON COMPLETION OF THAT FAMILIARIZATION; I BEGAN A FAMILIARIZATION FLT FOR THE SAME. THIS CONSISTED OF 1/2 HR AND 3 TKOFS AND LNDGS ON RWY 17. NO TOW ROPE WAS USED. A MARKED PWR LINE CROSSES THE APCH END OF THIS RWY. THE WX SUDDENLY TURNED GREAT; THE WIND SHIFTED TO RWY 26 AND WE ELECTED TO MAKE 3 GLIDER TOWS. THE GLIDER WAS PREFLTED; PUSHED OUT; THE TOW ROPE INSPECTED AND THE HOP WAS BRIEFED; INCLUDING EMER PROCS. THIS WAS TO BE 3 PATTERN TOWS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING PROCS FOR OP FROM THIS RWY. NOTE: RWY 26 ALSO HAS A MARKED PWR LINE ACROSS THE FINAL APCH END. TKOF OK; CLBOUT TO DOWNWIND OK; GLIDER RELEASED OK. I CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALT FOR APCH AND LNDG. DURING THE FINAL APCH ON RWY 27; AND AS I PASSED OVER THE PWR LINE; I FELT A BUMP ON THE TOW ROPE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE NEW 250 FT ROPE; I SAW A MARK (SMALL CUT) IN THE PROTECTIVE VINYL TUBING THAT PROTECTS THE SPLICE. THE CUT WAS 1 FT FROM THE END OF THE ROPE AND DID NOT DAMAGE OR CUT THE ROPE ITSELF. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ROPE. THE ACFT TAIL AND TOW HOOK WERE INSPECTED AGAIN AND NO DAMAGE OCCURRED. AS WE PREPARED FOR THE SECOND LAUNCH; THE POLICE CAME ONTO THE AIRFIELD AND STOPPED OUR OP AND INFORMED ME THAT I HAD CONTACTED THE PWR LINE AND HAD KNOCKED OUT PWR TO THE TOWN AND THAT WE COULD NOT MOVE THE ACFT UNTIL THE FAA ARRIVED. RPTS WERE MADE AND WE SECURED THE ACFT. APPARENTLY THE TOW ROPE SLAPPED THE WIRES AND CAUSED THEM TO ENGAGE AND TO BLOW A TRANSFORMER FUSE. THE GLIDER LANDED WITH NORMAL APCH AND WAS NOT INVOLVED. LESSONS: DON'T EVER BE THE ONE TO ESTABLISH PROCS. WHILE I HAD MADE PRIOR LNDGS ON THIS RWY IN A C172 IN NOVEMBER; I HAD NOT USED 30 DEGS OF FLAPS AS THE 150/150 HAS; AND COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT I HAD JUST MADE LNDGS AND HAD ACQUIRED A VISUAL PERSPECTIVE OF LNDG WITHOUT A TOW ROPE; ON A RWY THAT HAD A SHORTER PWR LINE ACROSS THE APCH END. MY MENTAL IMAGE LNDG PICTURE OVERRODE MY CALCULATED APCH PLAN. AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AND PRIOR MIL AVIATOR; I AM TRULY THE HUMBLE 'LUCKY' PLT WHO ONLY KNOWS HOW CLOSE I CAME TO A NON CARRIER ARRESTED LNDG IN THE COURSE OF PURSUING SPORT AVIATION. I WILL NOT QUESTION THIS CALL AS MY MISTAKE. THE PROCS NOW CALL FOR APCH MINIMUM DSCNT ALT OF 500 FT AGL UNTIL OVER THE PWR LINES AND RESUME A SHORT FIELD LNDG APCH AND LAND LONG.