Low flight of small transport to 'break in engines'. Aircraft struck obstacle on ground.

Attributes
ACN	114502
Time
Date	198906
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gnt
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 75 msl bound upper : 75
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	114502
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2450 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	114501
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Explanation of flight plan: FSS briefing, but flight plan filed with a part 135 company I work for. Aircraft was being transported from tennessee to phoenix. We had left wichita that morning. We refueled that day in las vegas. After departing las vegas, NM we climbed to an altitude of 1000' AGL. We were attempting to maintain 500 to 1000' AGL to aid in seating the rings on the new engines. Approximately 90 mins out of las vegas we heard and felt an impact on the aircraft. We noted damage to the right wingtip, but were holding fuel and everything sounded, felt and looked normal. As there were no manned fields in our vicinity we elected to continue flight to phoenix so our landing could be observed in case of damage we could not see. From what we saw out of the corner of our eye and the look of the damage we hit some sort of wire. A combination of the already low altitude for engine break-in, combined with fatigue from flying many hours that day, and the fact that we were looking into the sunset through a dirty windshield while studying a map to determine position, allowed 2 pilots who had obviously become too complacent and failed to maintain ground separation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FLT OF SMT TO 'BREAK IN ENGINES'. ACFT STRUCK OBSTACLE ON GND.

Narrative: EXPLANATION OF FLT PLAN: FSS BRIEFING, BUT FLT PLAN FILED WITH A PART 135 COMPANY I WORK FOR. ACFT WAS BEING TRANSPORTED FROM TENNESSEE TO PHOENIX. WE HAD LEFT WICHITA THAT MORNING. WE REFUELED THAT DAY IN LAS VEGAS. AFTER DEPARTING LAS VEGAS, NM WE CLIMBED TO AN ALT OF 1000' AGL. WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN 500 TO 1000' AGL TO AID IN SEATING THE RINGS ON THE NEW ENGINES. APPROX 90 MINS OUT OF LAS VEGAS WE HEARD AND FELT AN IMPACT ON THE ACFT. WE NOTED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WINGTIP, BUT WERE HOLDING FUEL AND EVERYTHING SOUNDED, FELT AND LOOKED NORMAL. AS THERE WERE NO MANNED FIELDS IN OUR VICINITY WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLT TO PHOENIX SO OUR LNDG COULD BE OBSERVED IN CASE OF DAMAGE WE COULD NOT SEE. FROM WHAT WE SAW OUT OF THE CORNER OF OUR EYE AND THE LOOK OF THE DAMAGE WE HIT SOME SORT OF WIRE. A COMBINATION OF THE ALREADY LOW ALT FOR ENGINE BREAK-IN, COMBINED WITH FATIGUE FROM FLYING MANY HOURS THAT DAY, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE SUNSET THROUGH A DIRTY WINDSHIELD WHILE STUDYING A MAP TO DETERMINE POSITION, ALLOWED 2 PLTS WHO HAD OBVIOUSLY BECOME TOO COMPLACENT AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN GND SEPARATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.