Resources · Flight Safety
Wire Hazard Map
Power lines crossing waterways are among the deadliest hazards in float flying — most are unmarked, unlit, and absent from every aeronautical chart. We compile wire crossings over water from 340+ utility and government datasets, cross-check them against official obstacle files, verify them with lidar where coverage exists, and publish the result free: this map, plus a ForeFlight pack and KML for each region below.
Wire hazards · Float flying
Not on your chart, but now in your cockpit.
Most power lines over water are unmarked, unlit, and missing from every aeronautical chart. Our free packs put them in ForeFlight and on your panel, so the alert comes before the wire.
Every wire we've mapped
Pan and zoom: every dot is a crossing at its true position. Use the region menu on the map to jump between the deep-coverage areas.
Garmin G3X Touch, GTN, Dynon SkyView? Put the wires in your cockpit: free waypoint files for your panel, by state.
Why this exists
In June 2026 a floatplane bound for a North Idaho splash-in struck power lines strung across the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Neither the pilot nor the passenger survived. Like most wires over water, those conductors appeared on no aeronautical chart — spans below 200 ft generally escape the obstacle-reporting requirement, and even where the towers are in the obstacle file, the wire between them often is not. The pattern is not new: Canada's TSB investigated a fatal 2020 wire strike on the Fraser River (A20P0060), a corridor where this database now maps dozens of crossings. Of the 257,888 US crossings mapped here, 99.7% appear in no FAA product.
The toll is on this map too: toggle Wire-strike accidents to see 2,196 wire strikes from the NTSB and Canadian TSB accident files, at their accident sites — 559 of them fatal. Cross-checked against the FAA obstacle file, only 5 of the 1,475 US accident sites had ANY charted wire within 500 m — the wires that kill are almost never the wires that are charted. (Canada publishes no obstacle file to check against at all.) Wires are not a theoretical hazard; they are one of the most consistent killers in low-level aviation.
How to use this map: brief the wires before the flight, cross rivers at the towers — never mid-span, treat narrows, lake outlets and dam tailwaters as wire terrain, and always inspect a landing area from altitude first. The absence of a pin never clears a reach.
Wire hazards · Approach planning
Inspect from altitude.
A normal glide to the water can cross a line strung over open water. Overfly the landing area first, find the wires, and plan an approach that keeps you above them.
Researchers & developers: the raw datasets behind this map are available on request at [email protected]. Same advisory caveats everywhere.
See a wire we're missing? Report it.
Pilot reports close the gaps fastest. Every report is reviewed against satellite imagery before it appears on the map.
One-press reporting — iPhone Action Button
Set up once, then a single press in flight logs your exact position to the review queue — no typing in the air.
Set-up steps (Shortcuts app)
- Shortcuts → + → add: Get Current Location, then Get Contents of URL
(URL
https://flystbernard.com/api/wire-report, POST, headerX-API-Key= your key, JSON body with lat / lon / alt_ft / name / source=action-button), then Show Notification. - Name it Log Wire → Settings → Action Button → Shortcut → Log Wire.
Prefer a ready-made signed shortcut, or need a key? Email [email protected].
Proprietary data processing
Every release passes independent audits for geometric conformance (each crossing sits on a source line; each span midpoint sits on water), duplicate suppression across overlapping sources, and obstacle-file cross-checking. Crossings carry confidence tiers — A: 129,973 confirmed by two or more independent sources · B: 35,263 single government/utility source · C: 21,910 single community source · D: 134,060 unverified distribution (shown grey, never shipped in packs). Where public lidar exists, possible crossings are checked against airborne point clouds — 1,921 conductors confirmed to date, and lidar-clear points are demoted rather than deleted. Pilot reports are human-reviewed against imagery before publication.
Seen a wire these maps don't show? Report it
Some wires are in no dataset at all; only pilots find them. Email [email protected] with the location, estimated height, date seen, and a photo if you got one safely. We verify every report against imagery and lidar before charting it.
Sources & methodology
The database is built from 340 verified datasets across four classes, cross-validated against each other. Wire locations are computed by geometric analysis of power-infrastructure records against high-resolution hydrography, then de-duplicated, confidence-tiered, checked against official obstacle files, and verified against lidar and imagery where coverage exists. The full processing pipeline, parameters, and per-source weighting are proprietary to Saint Bernard Aerial.
AEP / SWEPCO, AEP Texas, ALLETE / Minnesota Power — MNP and SWLP Basic Electric, Alaska DNR, Alaska Energy Authority, Alectra Utilities Corporation, Algoma Power Inc., Ameren Illinois Company, American Transmission Company, Anderson Municipal Light & Power, Anza Electric Coop, Arizona Public Service, Atikokan Hydro Inc., BC Geographic Warehouse, BC Hydro, BLM Idaho / NIFC aviation-hazard program, Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation, Bonneville Power Administration, Boone County / Northern KY GIS, Bowling Green OH Municipal Utilities, Broward County GIS, Burlington Electric Dept Pri, Burlington Hydro Inc., California Energy Commission, Canadian Niagara Power Inc., Central Hudson Gas & Electric — NY Joint Utilities hosting-capacity obligation, Central Maine Power + Versant, via Island Institute, Centralia City Light, Centre Wellington Hydro Ltd., Chelan County PUD, Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, City of Bastrop, TX, City of Camden, City of Castroville, City of Cedar Park, City of Columbiana, OH, City of Coolidge, City of Decatur, City of East Point, City of Gardner, KS, City of Hamilton, Ohio, City of Homestead, City of Kimball Light & Power, City of Kinston, City of Loveland CO, City of Medicine Hat, City of Miami OK, City of Miami, Oklahoma, City of New Westminster, City of Penticton Electric Utility, City of Plummer, City of Ponca City Electric, City of Rock Falls IL, City of Rocky Mount, City of Seaford, City of Sergeant Bluff, City of Sioux Falls, City of South Sioux City, City of Spooner, City of St. Marys, City of Sumas, City of Tallahassee, City of Valley City, City of Vinton, LA, City of Wauchula, City of Wilton, Clallam County PUD No. 1 — Potential MW Growth Capacity 2022, Colquitt EMC via Southern GA Regional Commission, Columbia River PUD, Comanche Electric Coop Assn, Commonwealth of Kentucky GIS, Consolidated Edison Co of New York, Cooperative Hydro Embrun Inc., Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company Limited, Cowlitz County PUD No. 1, DHS HIFLD, DRMP / Otero County Electric Cooperative, Dominion Energy Virginia, Duke Energy Florida via Golder/WSP project publications, Duke Energy Indiana via Jacobs Engineering, Duke Energy Kentucky, Duke Energy Ohio via Jacobs Engineering, Duke Energy — DukeTransmission/0 'Duke Energy Transmission Easements', E.L.K. Energy Inc., ENMAX Power Corporation, ENWIN Utilities Ltd., EPCOR Electricity Distribution Ontario Inc., ERTH Power Corporation, Elexicon Energy Inc., Enova Power Corp., Entegrus Powerlines Inc., Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, Espanola Regional Hydro Distribution Corp, Essex Powerlines Corporation, Exelon / Pepco Holdings, FAA, FAA Digital Obstacle File + aerial imagery review, Fairfax County, Festival Hydro Inc., Flathead Electric Cooperative, Florida DEP, Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, Fort Frances Power Corporation, FortisAlberta, GNWT Centre for Geomatics / NT Power Corp, Garkane Energy Cooperative, GeoYukon, Government of Alberta, GrandBridge Energy Inc., Greater Sudbury Hydro Inc., Green Mountain Power, Grimsby Power Incorporated, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, Halton Hills Hydro Inc., Hearst Power Distribution Company Limited, Holland Board of Public Works, Holy Cross Energy, Homer Electric Association, Hope Water & Light, Howell-Oregon Electric Coop, Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority, Hydro 2000 Inc., Hydro Hawkesbury Inc., Hydro One Networks, Hydro One Networks Inc., Hydro Ottawa Limited, Hydro-Québec, Idaho County Light & Power Coop, Idaho Department of Lands — Landfolio Land Use Activities, InnPower Corporation, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, Jefferson County PUD #1, Kansas Corporation Commission, Knightstown Municipal Electric, LCRA via City of Georgetown, LUMA Energy / PREPA via IEM, Lafayette Utilities System, Lakefront Utilities Inc., Lakeland Power Distribution Ltd., Lawrenceburg Municipal Utilities, Lewis County PUD No. 1 — Trimmed Vegetation Time Lapse Map, Lincoln Electric System, London Hydro Inc., Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Loudoun County, VA, MPW3 Muscatine, Maine GeoLibrary, Manitowoc Public Utilities, Maryland Department of Natural Resources / MD iMAP, Massachusetts Electric Company d/b/a National Grid, Milton Hydro Distribution Inc., Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, Montgomery County, PA, Muscatine Power and Water, Muscatine Power and Water OH3, NOAA Office for Coastal Management / Alaska Geospatial Office — Alaska Community Maps, NOAA Office of Coast Survey — ENC Direct to GIS, NREL GDR / Xcel Energy, NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy — DG hosting-capacity map, NYSEG / Rochester Gas & Electric, Natural Resources Canada, Nephi City UT, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, published by TKG, New Richmond Utilities, Newmarket-Tay Power Distribution Ltd., Niagara Mohawk Power Corp d/b/a National Grid, Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc., Niagara-On-The-Lake Hydro Inc., Nobles Cooperative Electric, North Bay Hydro Distribution, NorthWestern Energy — Electric Transmission by kV, Northern Ontario Wires Inc., Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Power Inc, OSM contributors, Oak City Corporation, Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Oncor, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry / Land Information Ontario, OpenStreetMap contributors, Orange & Rockland Utilities, Orangeville Hydro Limited, Oregon GEOHub, Orillia Power Distribution Corporation, Oshawa PUC Networks, Ottawa River Power Corporation, OurAirports, Owatonna Public Utilities, Owen Electric Coop / Northern KY GIS, Owen Electric Cooperative / NKY GIS, Owensboro Municipal Utilities, PUC Distribution Inc., PacifiCorp, Pacific Gas & Electric, Paducah Power System, Peace River Electric Cooperative, Portland General Electric, Prince William County, VA, Provincial + state/county ferry operators, Public Service Company of New Hampshire d/b/a Eversource Energy, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Renfrew Hydro Inc., Rhode Island GIS, Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc., Riverside Public Utilities, SECO Energy, Salt River Project, San Diego Gas & Electric, SaskPower, Seattle City Light / Seattle GeoData, Shakopee Public Utilities / MVEC, Sioux Lookout Hydro Inc., Snohomish County PUD No. 1, Southern California Edison, Southwest Power Pool, Surprise Valley Electrification Corp, Synergy North Corporation, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, The Connecticut Light and Power Company d/b/a Eversource Energy, The Narragansett Electric Company d/b/a Rhode Island Energy, Tillsonburg Hydro Inc., Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited, Town of Apex NC, Town of Grand Chute, Outagamie County WI, Town of Smithfield Public Utilities, Town of Tarboro, Township of Bonnechere Valley, Township of North Algona Wilberforce, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — ORM Public, UCNSB, US Army Alaska SDSFIE utility extract, republished on the UAA geomatics AGOL org, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Army Corps of Engineers — IENC, Unidentified, Utah Geospatial Resource Center, Utilities Kingston, VT Open Geodata, Valley Electric Association, Vera Water and Power, Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority, WIN Energy REMC, Wasaga Distribution Inc., Welland Hydro-Electric System Corp., Wellington North Power Inc., Westario Power Inc., Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association, WyGISC GeoHub, Xcel Energy / Northern States Power Company - Minnesota, Xcel Energy / Public Service Company of Colorado
USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHDPlus HR + NHD), BC Freshwater Atlas, Ontario Hydro Network, Québec GRHQ, Natural Resources Canada CanVec
FAA Daily Digital Obstacle File, NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts, USACE Inland Electronic Navigational Charts, Canadian Hydrographic Service ENCs
USGS 3DEP airborne lidar, NRCan CanElevation lidar, NAIP & satellite imagery, Reviewed pilot reports
Wire-hazard database © Saint Bernard Aerial. Contains information from © OpenStreetMap contributors and from US and Canadian federal, state, provincial, and utility open-data programs. Data current as of November 3, 2026; wires are built, moved, and removed — this page is a snapshot, not a living chart.
