# Incident 20210203022789I: Mooney M20L, Winchester, TN, February 3, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 3, 2021, 20:05 local time
- Place: Winchester, TN
- Airport: Winchester
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1775° N, 86.0662° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WINCHESTER MUNI (BGF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1775&lon=-86.0662&mi=10
- Aircraft: N63MP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N63MP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20L (registry code 5870221, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Porsche PFM3200N03 (registry code 51002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/porsche-pfm3200n03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20L
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550-N
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 701 total, 337 in this make and model, 36 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210203022789I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

2/4/2021-BWK, TRAVEL TO/FROM WINCHESTER AIRPORT FOR N63MP WIRE STRIKE. VIA PHONE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES THAT ON 02/03/2021 HE DEPARTED PDK IN N63MP AND STOPPED INTO BGF (WINCHESTER, TN) FOR CHEAP FUEL, ENROOT TO JWN. ON THE APPROACH AT BGF DURING VFR, NIGHT CONDITIONS HE REALIZED HE WAS LOW ON THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36. AT THIS TIME HE INCREASED POWER, LEVELED OFF AND "ALL THE SUDDEN WITH NO TIME TO REACT" STRUCK POWERLINES. HE STATES THAT THERE WAS A FLASH, SLIGHT PITCH UP, BUT THE PLANES ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE REMAINED OPERATING. HE THEN MADE A SAFE LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP.

WHEN ASKED WHAT HE WAS USING FOR VERTICAL GUIDANCE TO THE RUNWAY, HE INDICATED THAT WHILE THE VASI WAS ILLUMINATED, HE WAS NOT USING IT FOR VERTICAL GUIDANCE. HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT UNTIL HE GOT CLOSER TO THE RUNWAY THAT HIS ALTITUDE WAS NOT WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS. REALIZING HE WAS LOW, HE REITERATED, IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND JUST GOT LOW, HE POWERED UP, LEVELED OFF, AND SHORTLY AFTER STRUCK THE WIRES.

UPON ARRIVAL AT BGF. THE WIRES THAT WERE STRUCK JUST SOUTH OF RUNWAY 36 DID HAVE ORANGE BALLS ON THEM AS THEY WERE NOW ON THE GROUND. THE WIRES WERE DETERMINED FROM AIRPORT DRAWINGS PROVIDED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO BE APPROX 1,000 FROM RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND 25' ABOVE THRESHOLD ELEVATION. CONVERSING WITH ADO OFFICE IN MEM, THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE HEIGHT GIVEN THE DISTANCE FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. IT IS BELOW THEIR REQUIRED 20:1 SLOPE.

THE A/C DAMAGE IS LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: PROP HAS WIRE STRIKE AND BURN MARKS ON IT. THE RIGHT WING HAS A BLACK MARK ON IT FROM ONE OF THE WIRES. THE NOSE GEAR DOOR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR DOOR HAS DAMAGE TO THEM. THE COWL HAS A BURN MARK ON IT. FIELD MECHANIC PULLED THE COWL TO VERIFY NO FIREWALL DAMAGE.

PILOT IS VERY COMPLIANT. AIRMAN COUNSELED UNDER 91.13 CARELESS/RECKLESS OPERATION. AIRMAN REMINDED OF NIGHTTIME VISUAL ILLUSIONS, AND TO USE THE VASI FOR GUIDANCE.

SAS TASK #- T-CE19-FY21-0208

ACTIVITY# CE19202101432

ATQA# - A-CE19-21-011

## Other reports on N63MP (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20230601011949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230601011949I), Jun 1, 2023: Mooney M20L (N63MP), Immokalee, FL, Minor damage. Part 91 operation of a Mooney M20L, registration [privacy data omitted] serial number 26-0020, conducting a VFR cross country flight with the pilot and one (1)…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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