Unreported Wire Strikes
At least 40 percent of aircraft wire strikes in Australia have gone unreported in recent years, according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
The ATSB based its conclusion on surveys of commercial electricity distribution and transmission companies, all of which were asked to provide data on all known wire strikes involving their wires between July 2003 and June 2011. The ATSB also requested information from a telecommunications company, which did not have a central data center for wire strike information and therefore did not participate.
During the eight-year period, pilots or operators had reported 166 wire strikes to the ATSB. Of these, about half involved crop spraying, and 17 percent involved aircraft engaged in aerial stock mustering, fire control, surveying and photography — all operations that typically are conducted at low altitudes.
Information from electricity distribution and transmission companies indi…
