Approaching the destination, the pilot noticed that rain had recently fallen on the strip. The pilot stated that he overflew the strip but wished to ascertain the amount of rain that had fallen before attempting to land. He reported that an inspection run was conducted, however, a strong tailwind component existed and the resulting groundspeed was too high to enable an adequate inspection to be made. A procedure turn onto a reciprocal heading was carried-out, and the aircraft placed in the approach configuration. This inspection run was intended to be flown at a height of about 200 feet above the ground, and additional engine power was introduced as required to compensate for downdraughts. During the inspection the aircraft struck a power line about 20 feet above a road, and subsequently landed heavily on the sloping roadside. Information available at the accident site indicated that the pilot was either landing or preparing to land on the road.
