What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed in a cotton field dueing aerial application and came to rest inverted. (-23) on September 2, 1997, I arrived at the crash site of a Grumman G-164A airplane, N9807, 16 miles northeast of Muleshoe, Texas. On arrival I noticed that the electrical transmission lines had been spliced back together, a new pole had been set, along with a new cross arm insulators, and a new transformer. I proceeded into the cotton field to the wreckage and took pictures, some of which show evidence of transmission wires in the wreckage. Upon returning to my vehicle on the road another vehicle drove up. The person got out and approached me and identified himself as the pilot of the wrecked aircraft. I asked for his pilot certificate and identified him as clifford r. ash, certificate number 563647764. He explained to me what happened -- that he elected to fly under the wires and at that time he saw a standpipe on the other side of the road. He said he did hard right aileron and hard right rudder to miss the standpipe and at that point the left wing struck the wires, pulling them down along with the pole. The aircraft cart-wheel ed and came to rest approximately 50 yards from impact with the wires in an inverted position.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A COTTON FIELD DUEING AERIAL APPLICATION AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1997, I ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SITE OF A GRUMMAN G-164A AIRPLANE, N9807, 16 MILES NORTHEAST OF MULESHOE, TEXAS. ON ARRIVAL I NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES HAD BEEN SPLICED BACK TOGETHER, A NEW POLE HAD BEEN SET, ALONG WITH A NEW CROSS ARM INSULATORS, AND A NEW TRANSFORMER. I PROCEEDED INTO THE COTTON FIELD TO THE WRECKAGE AND TOOK PICTURES, SOME OF WHICH SHOW EVIDENCE OF TRANSMISSION WIRES IN THE WRECKAGE. UPON RETURNING TO MY VEHICLE ON THE ROAD ANOTHER VEHICLE DROVE UP. THE PERSON GOT OUT AND APPROACHED ME AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE PILOT OF THE WRECKED AIRCRAFT. I ASKED FOR HIS PILOT CERTIFICATE AND IDENTIFIED HIM AS CLIFFORD R. ASH, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 563647764. HE EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT HAPPENED -- THAT HE ELECTED TO FLY UNDER THE WIRES AND AT THAT TIME HE SAW A STANDPIPE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE SAID HE DID HARD RIGHT AILERON AND HARD RIGHT RUDDER TO MISS THE STANDPIPE AND AT THAT POINT THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE WIRES, PULLING THEM DOWN ALONG WITH THE POLE. THE AIRCRAFT CART-WHEEL ED AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS FROM IMPACT WITH THE WIRES IN AN INVERTED POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.