C172 PWR LINE PATROL PLT NOTIFIED BY ACFT OWNER WHILE INFLT OF HUT CTLR CONCERN THAT HE WAS 'DOWN;' APPARENTLY DUE TO LOSS OF COM WHILE PLT WAS TRANSITING HUT LCL AREA WHILE CONDUCTING LINE PATROL.

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WAS PATROLLING PWR LINE FOR LCL ENERGY COMPANY. NOTIFIED HUTCHISON TWR OF LOCATION AND INTENTIONS. CONTACTED HUTCHISON TWR; ADVISED THEM OF POS N OF ARPT; PATROLLING PWR LINE N OF ARPT; TRANSITIONING TO WSW ON PWR LINE. CTL TWR CLRED ME TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE; AND ASKED HOW HIGH. RESPONSE WAS APPROX 100 FT AGL. TWR ADVISED OF A KING AIR IN AREA DOING NDB APCHS. I ADVISED; 'LOOKING.' MINS LATER; I RPTED TO TWR THAT I HAD KING AIR IN SIGHT. NO RESPONSE HEARD FROM TWR. POSSIBLY TOO LOW AND FAR TO RECEIVE TWR RESPONSE. APPROX 1 HR LATER; OWNER OF ACFT NOTIFIED THAT MIL; HWY PATROL AND FLT SVC WAS LOOKING FOR ME IN THE C172. CTL TWR BELIEVED THAT SINCE THEY COULD NOT REACH ME BY RADIO; THAT THEY FEARED I WAS DOWN. THEY THEN SENT OUT SEARCH AND RESCUE. HAVE NOT HEARD FROM FAA OR HUTCHISON TWR. LOOKING CLOSER AT SECTIONAL; I WAS NEVER IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE RADIO CALL TO TWR WAS MORE OF A COURTESY CALL. TWR DID NOT ADVISE OR ASK TO RPT LEAVING THE AIRSPACE. HAVE PATROLLED LINES (PWR) FOR YRS. THEY USUALLY DON'T ASK TO RPT WHEN LEAVING THE AREA. A FEW AIRPLANES HAVE GONE DOWN IN KANSAS THE PAST FEW WKS. I BELIEVE TWR WAS OVER-ANXIOUS AND PANICKED WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION. NO AIRPLANE WAS RPTED DOWN OR MISSING.