Narrative:

As we were preparing to leave the tower, the raceway manager asked me if I would do a low pass fly-by on our departure. I could see the area well from the tower and noticed 2 wires running to the tower from a nearby tree line and, observing no other obstacles, I agreed to fly over and look at the area from the air and to do a low pass if I saw no other obstacles. The raceway manager took us back to the airplane. After departing from the airstrip, I made a clearing pass over the raceway, cleared the area for other traffic and swung down for a low pass on the side of the raceway away from the spectators and above the previously observed wires. However, we struck a wire at the far end of the raceway from the observers, losing a portion of the rudder of the aircraft, but maintaining controled flight. I then proceeded straight ahead, finding an airstrip in my line of flight. I landed at wollford field (8m2) without incident. After inspecting the damage, I decided the aircraft was not airworthy. I taxied the aircraft to a tie-down spot, used duct tape to close the rint in the rudder fabric, and secured the aircraft from the high winds and rains that are common in that part of arkansas in the spring. The ground off the asphalt was soft and muddy from rains the previous evening, and it required a high power setting to get the plane into position for tie-down, splattering the undercarriage with mud and debris. We then arranged for transportation back to millington, tn. No person in the aircraft was injured and, upon speaking with the raceway manager, no person was endangered on the ground. I had an a&P ai inspect the plane on apr/yy/98.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AT6 FLIES A LOW PASS OVER A RACEWAY AND HITS SOME WIRES THAT CUT OFF THE RUDDER. THIS OCCURS AT M19, AR.

Narrative: AS WE WERE PREPARING TO LEAVE THE TWR, THE RACEWAY MGR ASKED ME IF I WOULD DO A LOW PASS FLY-BY ON OUR DEP. I COULD SEE THE AREA WELL FROM THE TWR AND NOTICED 2 WIRES RUNNING TO THE TWR FROM A NEARBY TREE LINE AND, OBSERVING NO OTHER OBSTACLES, I AGREED TO FLY OVER AND LOOK AT THE AREA FROM THE AIR AND TO DO A LOW PASS IF I SAW NO OTHER OBSTACLES. THE RACEWAY MGR TOOK US BACK TO THE AIRPLANE. AFTER DEPARTING FROM THE AIRSTRIP, I MADE A CLRING PASS OVER THE RACEWAY, CLRED THE AREA FOR OTHER TFC AND SWUNG DOWN FOR A LOW PASS ON THE SIDE OF THE RACEWAY AWAY FROM THE SPECTATORS AND ABOVE THE PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED WIRES. HOWEVER, WE STRUCK A WIRE AT THE FAR END OF THE RACEWAY FROM THE OBSERVERS, LOSING A PORTION OF THE RUDDER OF THE ACFT, BUT MAINTAINING CTLED FLT. I THEN PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD, FINDING AN AIRSTRIP IN MY LINE OF FLT. I LANDED AT WOLLFORD FIELD (8M2) WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE DAMAGE, I DECIDED THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO A TIE-DOWN SPOT, USED DUCT TAPE TO CLOSE THE RINT IN THE RUDDER FABRIC, AND SECURED THE ACFT FROM THE HIGH WINDS AND RAINS THAT ARE COMMON IN THAT PART OF ARKANSAS IN THE SPRING. THE GND OFF THE ASPHALT WAS SOFT AND MUDDY FROM RAINS THE PREVIOUS EVENING, AND IT REQUIRED A HIGH PWR SETTING TO GET THE PLANE INTO POS FOR TIE-DOWN, SPLATTERING THE UNDERCARRIAGE WITH MUD AND DEBRIS. WE THEN ARRANGED FOR TRANSPORTATION BACK TO MILLINGTON, TN. NO PERSON IN THE ACFT WAS INJURED AND, UPON SPEAKING WITH THE RACEWAY MGR, NO PERSON WAS ENDANGERED ON THE GND. I HAD AN A&P AI INSPECT THE PLANE ON APR/YY/98.

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.