What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N81708 had just completed a major aircraft restoration with paint and avionics. The aircraft had only a couple of squawks when he flew it for the first trip out of maintenance to new philadelphia, OH and return. The squawks were subsequently addressed. For the flight, ^Mr. Egbert^ took 2 of their mechanics with him as was customary. He said the visibility was good with light mist so he wanted to keep the flight local to I40, coshocton Ohio. He said the south side of I40 was clear so he decided to do a low-pass at 8G0 to finish the test flight. He was only planning a low-approach to the grass strip and knew from previous experience that there were obstacles located on the departure end of the field and he was more worried/focused on avoiding those than he was on planning for or avoiding the obstacles on the approach end for runway 28. As he set up for the low approach, he said he decided to only put in approach flaps and this caused his visual line of sight to be flattened as opposed to a normal descent angle. This subsequently caused him to be low on the approach and caused him to strike the power lines just short of runway 28. He said he immediately added power and climbed after he heard a 'ting' and said he did not notice any unusual flight characteristics or engine roughness. He departed the area and returned immediately to I40 where he noted the damage to the propeller and a portion of the cowl below the prop as well as a mark on the exhaust. He then contacted the local sheriff and the power line supplier.
As the FAA filed it
N81708 HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAJOR AIRCRAFT RESTORATION WITH PAINT AND AVIONICS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD ONLY A COUPLE OF SQUAWKS WHEN HE FLEW IT FOR THE FIRST TRIP OUT OF MAINTENANCE TO NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH AND RETURN. THE SQUAWKS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY ADDRESSED. FOR THE FLIGHT, ^MR. EGBERT^ TOOK 2 OF THEIR MECHANICS WITH HIM AS WAS CUSTOMARY. HE SAID THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD WITH LIGHT MIST SO HE WANTED TO KEEP THE FLIGHT LOCAL TO I40, COSHOCTON OHIO. HE SAID THE SOUTH SIDE OF I40 WAS CLEAR SO HE DECIDED TO DO A LOW-PASS AT 8G0 TO FINISH THE TEST FLIGHT. HE WAS ONLY PLANNING A LOW-APPROACH TO THE GRASS STRIP AND KNEW FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE THAT THERE WERE OBSTACLES LOCATED ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE FIELD AND HE WAS MORE WORRIED/FOCUSED ON AVOIDING THOSE THAN HE WAS ON PLANNING FOR OR AVOIDING THE OBSTACLES ON THE APPROACH END FOR RUNWAY 28. AS HE SET UP FOR THE LOW APPROACH, HE SAID HE DECIDED TO ONLY PUT IN APPROACH FLAPS AND THIS CAUSED HIS VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT TO BE FLATTENED AS OPPOSED TO A NORMAL DESCENT ANGLE. THIS SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED HIM TO BE LOW ON THE APPROACH AND CAUSED HIM TO STRIKE THE POWER LINES JUST SHORT OF RUNWAY 28. HE SAID HE IMMEDIATELY ADDED POWER AND CLIMBED AFTER HE HEARD A 'TING' AND SAID HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OR ENGINE ROUGHNESS. HE DEPARTED THE AREA AND RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO I40 WHERE HE NOTED THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND A PORTION OF THE COWL BELOW THE PROP AS WELL AS A MARK ON THE EXHAUST. HE THEN CONTACTED THE LOCAL SHERIFF AND THE POWER LINE SUPPLIER.