Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 150; Flight Crew Type 90
Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
Setting up a 1 mile final for an off-field landing on a gravel bar near my home; struck an unmarked/flagged power-line which crosses the river. Flying toward the sunset at dusk didn't help.Avoided the large; well-marked power-lines near a bridge crossing the [river]; (they had the orange basketballs mid-wire for markings). Descended to 100 ft. after avoiding those lines. Started walking the speed back and settling down to 60-70 ft. AGL about 2 miles out.Stable winds calm; stable airspeed and altitude; walk the speed back to approach speed [about] 70 mph; descend to 30ish ft.Perfectly lined up with the target gravel bar for a good landing. Descend to 20 ft. about 1/4 mile from intended touchdown.Suddenly the wire moves above the horizon and is backlit by dusky sky; but only seen maybe 1/4 second before impact.The single; unmarked power-line gets struck by my prop; mid-blade. The wire is cut without effecting the engine's RPM at all. The cut wire flies off to port; striking the front jury strut loose of the wing on top. A piece of the grounding wire from the power-line was balled up and flung at the left wing; embedding itself in the aluminum leading edge of the wing; further port from the left gas tank.Powered up; no feather; full rich; straight back to ZZZ. Landing was normal. Noticeable vibration from the slightly damaged prop on return flight; but nothing crazy.Quiet drive home that night. My girlfriend and I know how fortunate we are to come out of something like that unscathed. So very fortunate.That power-line is only a mile from my home; in my river; and I never knew it was there. 1) Scout your landings during the day more effectively2) Don't fly marginal altitudes at dusk3) Don't do practice landings at dusk4) Don't fly marginally safe with a passenger5) Tell your friends you love them more often.
Private Pilot reported an uneventful landing after a power line strike during final approach to landing.