What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was involved in aerial applicaiton when it struck an irrigation system. Pilot usually flies underneath electric utility wires in order to spray crops at edge of field at 6 to 10 feet above ground level. Limited daylight (dawn) decreased visibility. Twelve-foot high valley irrigation system had been parked along the west side of the field the previous day and the pilot thought it was still in that position. A worker had repositioned the system along the north side of the field after it malfunctioned during an irrigation pattern. The system was left overnight underneath the utility wires on the north side. Pilot did not see the irrigation system prior to the collision due to the limited visibility at dawn. (-23) pilot usually flies underneath electric utility wires in order to spray crops at edge of field at 6 to 10 feet above ground level. Limited daylight (dawn) decreased visibility. Twelve-foot high valley irrigation system had been parked along the west side of the field the previous day and the pilot thought it was still in that position. A worker had repositioned the system along the north side of the field after it malfunctioned during an ir rigation pattern. The system was left overnight underneath the utility wires on the north side. Pilot did not see the irrigation system prior to the collision due to the limited visibility at dawn.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN AERIAL APPLICAITON WHEN IT STRUCK AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM. PILOT USUALLY FLIES UNDERNEATH ELECTRIC UTILITY WIRES IN ORDER TO SPRAY CROPS AT EDGE OF FIELD AT 6 TO 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. LIMITED DAYLIGHT (DAWN) DECREASED VISIBILITY. TWELVE-FOOT HIGH VALLEY IRRIGATION SYSTEM HAD BEEN PARKED ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD THE PREVIOUS DAY AND THE PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS STILL IN THAT POSITION. A WORKER HAD REPOSITIONED THE SYSTEM ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD AFTER IT MALFUNCTIONED DURING AN IRRIGATION PATTERN. THE SYSTEM WAS LEFT OVERNIGHT UNDERNEATH THE UTILITY WIRES ON THE NORTH SIDE. PILOT DID NOT SEE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE COLLISION DUE TO THE LIMITED VISIBILITY AT DAWN. (-23) PILOT USUALLY FLIES UNDERNEATH ELECTRIC UTILITY WIRES IN ORDER TO SPRAY CROPS AT EDGE OF FIELD AT 6 TO 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. LIMITED DAYLIGHT (DAWN) DECREASED VISIBILITY. TWELVE-FOOT HIGH VALLEY IRRIGATION SYSTEM HAD BEEN PARKED ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD THE PREVIOUS DAY AND THE PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS STILL IN THAT POSITION. A WORKER HAD REPOSITIONED THE SYSTEM ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD AFTER IT MALFUNCTIONED DURING AN IR RIGATION PATTERN. THE SYSTEM WAS LEFT OVERNIGHT UNDERNEATH THE UTILITY WIRES ON THE NORTH SIDE. PILOT DID NOT SEE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE COLLISION DUE TO THE LIMITED VISIBILITY AT DAWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.