SMA MAKING LOW PASS OVER MAIN STREET OF SMALL TOWN TO START PARADE; HIT HIGH POWER LINES; RETURNED TO ARPT.
Synopsis
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.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.