Narrative:

This incident occurred on takeoff from a 2300' private sod airstrip near cadillac, mi. The aircraft was lightly loaded at the time with only myself and two children on board as passengers and with approximately 35 gallons of fuel in the fuel tanks. The aircraft type is an small aircraft. I monitored the increase in my air speed as I rolled down the runway for takeoff. As I reached the point where I had calculated I would have to make a go/no go decision, I concluded that the air speed was increasing satisfactory to continue the takeoff. However, after I passed that decision point, the aircraft passed through a soft area on the sod runway. At that instant I had to make a decision whether to continue or abort the takeoff. Since I could see that I would not be able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway and that a crash off the end of the runway would be virtually certain if I aborted the takeoff, I decided to continue with the takeoff. After the airplane became airborne, I tried to obtain sufficient air speed for the climb, but was unable to clear the power lines at the end of the runway. The right main landing gear struck the uppermost pwrline and broke that cable. This cable strike did not seem to significantly slow the aircraft any further, and I continued my climb after obtaining normal climb speed. Later inspection of the aircraft showed that there was no damage done to the aircraft itself other than some minor scratches on the landing gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR OF GA SMA HIT A POWER LINE DURING INITIAL CLIMB OUT OF PRIVATE ARPT NEAR CAD MI.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON TKOF FROM A 2300' PRIVATE SOD AIRSTRIP NEAR CADILLAC, MI. THE ACFT WAS LIGHTLY LOADED AT THE TIME WITH ONLY MYSELF AND TWO CHILDREN ON BOARD AS PAXS AND WITH APPROX 35 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE ACFT TYPE IS AN SMA. I MONITORED THE INCREASE IN MY AIR SPD AS I ROLLED DOWN THE RWY FOR TKOF. AS I REACHED THE POINT WHERE I HAD CALCULATED I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A GO/NO GO DECISION, I CONCLUDED THAT THE AIR SPD WAS INCREASING SATISFACTORY TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. HOWEVER, AFTER I PASSED THAT DECISION POINT, THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH A SOFT AREA ON THE SOD RWY. AT THAT INSTANT I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO CONTINUE OR ABORT THE TKOF. SINCE I COULD SEE THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE END OF THE RWY AND THAT A CRASH OFF THE END OF THE RWY WOULD BE VIRTUALLY CERTAIN IF I ABORTED THE TKOF, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE TKOF. AFTER THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, I TRIED TO OBTAIN SUFFICIENT AIR SPD FOR THE CLB, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLR THE PWR LINES AT THE END OF THE RWY. THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUCK THE UPPERMOST PWRLINE AND BROKE THAT CABLE. THIS CABLE STRIKE DID NOT SEEM TO SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW THE ACFT ANY FURTHER, AND I CONTINUED MY CLB AFTER OBTAINING NORMAL CLB SPD. LATER INSPECTION OF THE ACFT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT ITSELF OTHER THAN SOME MINOR SCRATCHES ON THE LNDG GEAR.

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.