Narrative:

I was participating in a cross country air race where ground speed is what determines your score. Because of headwinds, the best ground speed could be attained by flying as close to the ground as possible and prudent. I was staying 500 ft from all buildings, people, etc, but at the time of the incident was over an open field with no visible wires, etc. The area I was flying over was prolific with electric and phone lines and power lines but they were easy to see and avoid. Suddenly, there was a loud 'whap' and my perception was that a bird had hit the windshield and I asked, 'what the h--- was that?' my copilot said it was a wire. She had seen it out the corner of her eye but too late to do anything. We immediately climbed to a higher altitude and took assessment of the airplane and were so involved in that determination, we never even noted our location. By the time we determined we were still airworthy, I never thought about liability to the power company since those lines are so frequently cut by farm machinery but after later reflection, I realized I should contact them but did not then know where it had happened except by time frame. I could have prevented the incident by flying higher and being more alert. The pressure of wanting to perform well in the race caused me to fly at an altitude I would never normally consider.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP. SMA IN AIR RACE HITS OBSTRUCTION NOT VISIBLE PWR LINE.

Narrative: I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A XCOUNTRY AIR RACE WHERE GND SPD IS WHAT DETERMINES YOUR SCORE. BECAUSE OF HEADWINDS, THE BEST GND SPD COULD BE ATTAINED BY FLYING AS CLOSE TO THE GND AS POSSIBLE AND PRUDENT. I WAS STAYING 500 FT FROM ALL BUILDINGS, PEOPLE, ETC, BUT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS OVER AN OPEN FIELD WITH NO VISIBLE WIRES, ETC. THE AREA I WAS FLYING OVER WAS PROLIFIC WITH ELECTRIC AND PHONE LINES AND PWR LINES BUT THEY WERE EASY TO SEE AND AVOID. SUDDENLY, THERE WAS A LOUD 'WHAP' AND MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT A BIRD HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND I ASKED, 'WHAT THE H--- WAS THAT?' MY COPLT SAID IT WAS A WIRE. SHE HAD SEEN IT OUT THE CORNER OF HER EYE BUT TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO A HIGHER ALT AND TOOK ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRPLANE AND WERE SO INVOLVED IN THAT DETERMINATION, WE NEVER EVEN NOTED OUR LOCATION. BY THE TIME WE DETERMINED WE WERE STILL AIRWORTHY, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT LIABILITY TO THE PWR COMPANY SINCE THOSE LINES ARE SO FREQUENTLY CUT BY FARM MACHINERY BUT AFTER LATER REFLECTION, I REALIZED I SHOULD CONTACT THEM BUT DID NOT THEN KNOW WHERE IT HAD HAPPENED EXCEPT BY TIME FRAME. I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT BY FLYING HIGHER AND BEING MORE ALERT. THE PRESSURE OF WANTING TO PERFORM WELL IN THE RACE CAUSED ME TO FLY AT AN ALT I WOULD NEVER NORMALLY CONSIDER.

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.