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All power lines can kill you. The ones with lower voltage can electrocute you. The ones with higher voltage can set you on fire. Not just your harness or sail. You. Your meat.
What it's like
The hang glider struck and was caught in high voltage transmission lines. "I heard it when it hit and then I heard the guy screaming. He was screaming and screaming for help. He was still alive when I went for help." The motion of the pilot brought a leading edge into contact with another wire. "Maybe if he had stayed still, they could have got him down. I saw it when [the powerlines] arced across." The pilot's harness then caught on fire. He separated from the glider and fell to the ground in flames, setting nine acres of brush on fire. Firefighters had to extinguish the fire before rescuers could reach the body.
What to do
Understand the deadly nature of power lines well enough to react instantly. Anything is better. A stall is better. A downwind landing is better. Landing on a roof is better. Landing in a turn is better. Striking a solid object is better. Crashing into a tree is better. The glider is expendable. Engineer a crash you can survive by breaking as much of the glider as you can before your body hits the ground. Flying into a gap too narrow for the glider, like between trees or poles, cars or walls, is a good way to diminish kinetic energy and minimize potential injury.
Survive the crash
Prime yourself for instant response.
Know in advance what you are going to do to survive a roof landing. Be cool. Flare aggressively. Grab something on the roof.
Know in advance what you are going to do to survive an impact with a wall. Be cool. Try to drag a wingtip or yaw so a leading edge strikes the wall first. Flare aggressively. Wrap your arms around a downtube. You want the impact to throw your body up into the sail.
Know in advance how to crash downwind. Be cool. Flare aggressively. Wrap your arms around a downtube. You want the impact to throw your body into the sail.
Know in advance how to crash in a turn. This can be necessary when your landing spot is surrounded by power lines and your only choice is to spiral into it. As you near the ground, flatten your turn. Do not slip. Be cool. Flare aggressively just before the lower wingtip digs in. Wrap your arms around a downtube. You want the impact to throw your body into the sail.
Caught in strong wind
If you are being blown backwards toward power lines - be cool. Face the wind, speed up and rotate to create maximum drag. This will increase your rate of descent. Look behind you. Will you be pushed into the power lines like this? If so, you must immediately turn at minimum sink and cross the lines, then continue the descent on the other side.
How to better your chances
Nature abhors straight lines. Look for poles and towers. You will see them first. Make mild S-turns as you descend, this will cause the poles and towers to move against their background. Fly at a medium speed that gives you instant maneuvering response. Constantly run alternative flight paths through your mind. Do not commit. Be prepared to react instantly. Know what you are going to do if you are forced off your approach.
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