Australia’s most dangerous power line?

[Dick Smith]

I’ve just been flying along the railway line between Lake Cargelligo and Ivanhoe. The power line that I saw about 5 years ago is still there.

It is a single SWER line which goes from the railway line to the top of the 1,000 foot Warranary Hill, just to the west of Roto. It is completely invisible, with no ball on it. It is a wonder someone hasn’t run into it.

I know lots of the chopper pilots fly along the railway line. I’m sure you could be at the legal 500 feet and still hit the line. It is not on any charts, so watch out.

[tmpffisch]

Thanks Dick

Is this the one?

Lake Cargelligo - Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lake+Cargelligo&sll=-33.988918,147.084961&sspn=5.51905,11.601562&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=-33.048565,145.282817&spn=0.021799,0.045319&z=15&iwloc=A)

[slow n low]

Dick,

Is there not a method of informing ASA so it is included on the next amendment cycle?? :confused: (Honest question here...)

[RadioSaigon]

do you have coordinates for the powerline?

[Howard Hughes]

Isn't that why choppers have wire cutters?;)

[Freewheel]

Howard,

Recognising your icon, I'll explain this for those without any background.


Not all do, as you get lighter, you get less able to carry the weight. There is no cutter available for any piston type that I know of.

The other thing is, you need a certain amount of inertia to force the wire into the cutter. The issues of what happens to the cable ends afterwards are a whole unknown. Usually (so I'm told) not an issue, but every now and again....

Finally, you need to catch the wire at an angle that allows the cutter to bite. If not, you can sail along the wire, rotating around the moment until something else catches it and the whole shebang begins to look a lot uglier.

I'm not familiar with this particular wire, but a number of those identified have been located either by strike, or by people flying under them.

[the wizard of auz]

I would imagine it was a tongue in cheek comment referring to the big rotating wire cutter on top of the heli. Roll boy roll........... snip that wire. :}

[multime]

A couple i,ve experienced on survey.
Strung between valleys.
No ballons, but AG experience pays. You see the poles.
Building, Pole, Insulator, WIRE !!!. Old rules.
Donnybrook WA, At 20 mtrs they come up quick.
Q/ What were you doing below 1000 agl, in a caravan.?
Regards
Multi

[Dick Smith]

Howard Hughes, you state:

Isn't that why choppers have wire cutters?

Most certainly – and I have wire cutters on my Jetranger, which I was flying that day. However, as stated on this thread, they won’t always save your life. It is better not to run into the power lines in the first place.

Tmpffisch, I think the link you have given to the Google Map is correct, however the power cable runs from just north of the railway line to the top of Warranary Hill, and goes to a repeater station with antenna and a small shed. Unfortunately I can’t see the antenna and small shed on the Google Map, so it might not be the exact position.

Suffice to say, if you are heading west from Roto, or east into Roto, look for Warranary Hill (which is on the northern side of the railway line, about 1,000 feet high) and remember there is an almost invisible single power line that goes to the top.

[go_soaring]

SWER lines (Single Wire Earth Return) are a frequent threat to glider pilots (and of course ag pilots) during out-landings (aka, off-field or paddock), and are NOT found on WAC charts. Just like the commercial world when doing an off-field landing, we're taught to do a thorough inspection of the field. Often this means breaking off from a cross-country race and focusing on the next task at hand, a safe landing.

Things you can look for in paddocks are large clumps of un-mown grass, these generally host the supporting post. Try to link up two of these and draw an imaginary line between the two. Unfortunately there can often only be one of these clumps in a single paddock, so look for the farm house and join up the two. Assume that this line continues into the next tree line (often thats where another post will be found).

Off topic, but in QLD if you ever have to make a forced or precautionary landing, then choose a ploughed field over a grass field. Grass fields often have big melon holes in them or piles of old wood, farm machinery left to rust away, or anything else in general to spoil your day once running into it!

Leading into VIC and Northern NSW, choose a short cut grass field over a ploughed field. No reason, just that the grass field is likely to be smoother, though the ploughed field will pull you up quicker should you choose to try and stop even quicker!

For the other states, I'm not sure what the preferences are for field selection as I have only limited experience in gliding from SA, NT, TAS, ACT and WA.


go_soaring! instead

[Critical Reynolds No]

Dick said:
It is completely invisible, with no ball on it.

Then how did you know it was there? :ugh::cool:

Slow news day.:D

[601]

Q/ What were you doing below 1000 agl, in a caravan.?
Have a read of CAR 157(1)(b) and if the weather is sh***y, CAR 157(4)(a).:=

[mjbow2]

multime

Its possible don't you think, that Dick Smith was actually flying his Jetranger like he says he was and not his Caravan?

[VH-XXX]

Slightly off topic, can't you go below 1000ft in a Caravan?

[Dick Smith]

Critical, because I was told about it.

To others I was in my jetranger however I could have been in the C208 Caravan.

[bushy]

Wires have been killing pilots for decades. There are aeroplane traps out there.

[Atlas Shrugged]

To others I was in my jetranger however I could have been in the C208 Caravan.

or having a ****load of fun in the CJ ;)

[sru]

Serious Question,

Are their resources out there that detail this sort of information. i.e. known wires, obstacles etc. The RAAF must have this data for LJR and low flying areas they operate within, But is this information available to the aviation community in general ?

Only ask because quite often, we can get tasked to an "unfamiliar" area to operate low level at short notice. ( in which the basics of recognizing likely wires etc are applied as in previous posts - nice to know before hand tho :))

Cheers SRU

[Aerodynamisist]

Thanks for bringing this one to our attention Mr Smith, was just reading the accident report on a wire strike accident this morning.

There is a reference to the Australian standard for marking power lines that states there is no requirement to mark a power line with a height of no greater that 90m (295 feet). So it would follow that if your power line is above this height and it should be marked and should be brought to the attention of trans-grid/country energy, or brought to the attention of ASA who should put it on the map and contact the relevant people and force them to mark the wire.

At the very least I would implore you to submit a chart correction on line
https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/ccard/default.asp?

[Dick Smith]

Aerodynamisist I believe the power line is over 295 feet AGL, however it is so short that I don’t believe it would be possible to show on a typical WAC chart.

For those that are interested, my estimate of the SWER line’s location is S 33º 01.5 E 145º 23.0