19980417010409A

Wire strike on approach to airport. (.4) the maintenance technician/pilot was returning the airplane to its owner located on a private airstrip after an annual inspection. He stated that he entered the traffic pattern by overflying the airport at 2000 (dusk), and entering on the 45 for the downwind to runway 28. As he lined up with the runway he said that he looked down at the airspeed indicator and heard a 'kunk,' at which point he noticed that the propeller had stopped. The pilot then noticed some power lines in his path, and at the same time he noticed the runway lights flicker and go out. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a 3- to 4-inch gash in the spinner and some marks on one propeller blade, which the pilot said 'looked like it had scraped on something.' The pilot reported 'apparently there are two rows of power lines and somehow I hit a wire on the first row.' A maintenance worker reported that none of the power lines were broken, but one had been pulled out of its support. There were no charts or publications available to the pilot to warn him of the power lines. There were no visible displaced threshold markings on the dirt strip to indicate an o n tructed 20:1 or 3-degree approach to runway 28. The runway had nonstandard lighting with six red/green lights at both thresholds. Official sunset had occurred about 1924. (-23)on April 17, 1998, at approximately 8:00 p.m., aircraft N28565, gruman American AA-5B hit a powerline while attempting to land at lake Riverside Estates, a private airstrip near aguanga, CA. The aircraft engine stopped due to impact with the power line and shortly thereafter the aircraft impacted the ground in a level attitude, skidding for some distance before coming to rest on a utility road. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the operator was not injured. The operator of the aircraft had never operated either into or out of the private airstrip. The private strip has runway lights and a displaced threshold. Two sets of power lines are located in the approach to the field, with the set nearest the runway having lights and balls attached. These power lines are approximately 50 feet off the ground. The operator of the aircraft turned final and lined up on the runway outside the outer powerlines, normally aircraft landing at this private s trip turn final and line up on the runway between the power lines (inside the outer power line). Even though at the time of the accident the weather was good with clear visibility, it was at dusk and the operator was not familiar with the airstrip. He turned final way to FAR out and descended to low to quickly.