Narrative:

The single engine seaplane rating course I was giving was complete but for the chkride and wire strike awareness. As there are no lakes with islands in our local training area, en route to the chkride lake I picked a lake with an island to demonstrate to the student to circle several times high and low to look carefully for wires from shore to the island. Then, since the lake was small with high hills covered with trees all around except for a small bay on the island end of the oval lake and little wind, I began demonstration of approach to water over bay, explaining ironically that we would be on the water before being in vicinity of wires going to island, if present. While passing through somewhat narrower opening from bay to lake, struck wire (cut with propeller). Student, in front seat, and I both saw only as it fell away to the sides. I continued to T/D on lake, shut down and inspected for damage, 84'. Seaplane problem slightly bent tips and some nicks within 2' of tips. Radio antenna knocked off top of plane by top wire. Beached plane. Called shop for new propeller. Power company came by later and told me wires were '#8 copper weld,' smaller than a pencil in diameter, copper over steel core, hence green from oxidation. The hot wire stayed up, but striking the radio antenna during time propeller was cutting ground wire caused radio to take 7200 volts through it; it's shot (crisp!). While waiting for new propeller, the power company restrung the wire, still with no tennis balls(!), so on departure the student and I taxied under them and could not see them or the support poles stuck somewhere in the woods up the hillsides. After takeoff, we again circled several times to no avail--invisible until too late! After discussion with several old timer float pilots, these are now the rules: 1) avoid unfamiliar lakes, small or with narrows. 2) if, given the span width and terrain, it's possible for there to be wires, assume they're there and act accordingly; i.e., different approach, go elsewhere. 3) keep going to church. 3 seaplane training books talk about wires to islands and across rivers, but make no mention of narrows in lakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON A TRAINING FLT HIT A WIRE WHILE DEMONSTRATING 'WIRE STRIKE AWARENESS.'

Narrative: THE SINGLE ENG SEAPLANE RATING COURSE I WAS GIVING WAS COMPLETE BUT FOR THE CHKRIDE AND WIRE STRIKE AWARENESS. AS THERE ARE NO LAKES WITH ISLANDS IN OUR LCL TRNING AREA, ENRTE TO THE CHKRIDE LAKE I PICKED A LAKE WITH AN ISLAND TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE STUDENT TO CIRCLE SEVERAL TIMES HIGH AND LOW TO LOOK CAREFULLY FOR WIRES FROM SHORE TO THE ISLAND. THEN, SINCE THE LAKE WAS SMALL WITH HIGH HILLS COVERED WITH TREES ALL AROUND EXCEPT FOR A SMALL BAY ON THE ISLAND END OF THE OVAL LAKE AND LITTLE WIND, I BEGAN DEMONSTRATION OF APCH TO WATER OVER BAY, EXPLAINING IRONICALLY THAT WE WOULD BE ON THE WATER BEFORE BEING IN VICINITY OF WIRES GOING TO ISLAND, IF PRESENT. WHILE PASSING THROUGH SOMEWHAT NARROWER OPENING FROM BAY TO LAKE, STRUCK WIRE (CUT WITH PROP). STUDENT, IN FRONT SEAT, AND I BOTH SAW ONLY AS IT FELL AWAY TO THE SIDES. I CONTINUED TO T/D ON LAKE, SHUT DOWN AND INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE, 84'. SEAPLANE PROB SLIGHTLY BENT TIPS AND SOME NICKS WITHIN 2' OF TIPS. RADIO ANTENNA KNOCKED OFF TOP OF PLANE BY TOP WIRE. BEACHED PLANE. CALLED SHOP FOR NEW PROP. PWR COMPANY CAME BY LATER AND TOLD ME WIRES WERE '#8 COPPER WELD,' SMALLER THAN A PENCIL IN DIAMETER, COPPER OVER STEEL CORE, HENCE GREEN FROM OXIDATION. THE HOT WIRE STAYED UP, BUT STRIKING THE RADIO ANTENNA DURING TIME PROP WAS CUTTING GND WIRE CAUSED RADIO TO TAKE 7200 VOLTS THROUGH IT; IT'S SHOT (CRISP!). WHILE WAITING FOR NEW PROP, THE PWR COMPANY RESTRUNG THE WIRE, STILL WITH NO TENNIS BALLS(!), SO ON DEP THE STUDENT AND I TAXIED UNDER THEM AND COULD NOT SEE THEM OR THE SUPPORT POLES STUCK SOMEWHERE IN THE WOODS UP THE HILLSIDES. AFTER TKOF, WE AGAIN CIRCLED SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL--INVISIBLE UNTIL TOO LATE! AFTER DISCUSSION WITH SEVERAL OLD TIMER FLOAT PLTS, THESE ARE NOW THE RULES: 1) AVOID UNFAMILIAR LAKES, SMALL OR WITH NARROWS. 2) IF, GIVEN THE SPAN WIDTH AND TERRAIN, IT'S POSSIBLE FOR THERE TO BE WIRES, ASSUME THEY'RE THERE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY; I.E., DIFFERENT APCH, GO ELSEWHERE. 3) KEEP GOING TO CHURCH. 3 SEAPLANE TRNING BOOKS TALK ABOUT WIRES TO ISLANDS AND ACROSS RIVERS, BUT MAKE NO MENTION OF NARROWS IN LAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.