What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he was on his third spray run, which required flying under power lines which were about 50 feet above ground level. There was a tree line about 1/4 mile from the power lines which concerned him. He stated that as he went under the power lines he was anticipating the climb to avoid the tree line and inadvertently applied back pressure. This caused the airplane to climb enough so that the propeller struck the power lines. The vertical stabilizer also struck the power lines. The airplane came to rest in a flooded rice field about 1/2 mile from the power lines. The left wing was severely damaged and bent; the empennage was twisted about 90 degrees to the left and the engine was partially separated from the firewall. The cockpit was intact. The pilot sustained superficial injuries. The pilot was counseled extensively on planning and aeronautical decision making. (.4)the pilot was spaying a rice field, and during the third pass he planned to fly the airplane under a 40-foot AGL power line and then over a tree line for the turn around maneuver. During the pass under the power line, the propeller, vertical stabilizer, and rudder struck the power line cable. Subsequently, the pilot flew the airplane over the tree line and landed the airplane left wing low in a flooded rice field. Upon touchdown, the airplane spun to the left, damaging the engine mounts and partially separating the tail section.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ON HIS THIRD SPRAY RUN, WHICH REQUIRED FLYING UNDER POWER LINES WHICH WERE ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THERE WAS A TREE LINE ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE POWER LINES WHICH CONCERNED HIM. HE STATED THAT AS HE WENT UNDER THE POWER LINES HE WAS ANTICIPATING THE CLIMB TO AVOID THE TREE LINE AND INADVERTENTLY APPLIED BACK PRESSURE. THIS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO CLIMB ENOUGH SO THAT THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE POWER LINES. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER ALSO STRUCK THE POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A FLOODED RICE FIELD ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE POWER LINES. THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND BENT; THE EMPENNAGE WAS TWISTED ABOUT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL. THE COCKPIT WAS INTACT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SUPERFICIAL INJURIES. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED EXTENSIVELY ON PLANNING AND AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING. (.4)THE PILOT WAS SPAYING A RICE FIELD, AND DURING THE THIRD PASS HE PLANNED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE UNDER A 40-FOOT AGL POWER LINE AND THEN OVER A TREE LINE FOR THE TURN AROUND MANEUVER. DURING THE PASS UNDER THE POWER LINE, THE PROPELLER, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND RUDDER STRUCK THE POWER LINE CABLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER THE TREE LINE AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE LEFT WING LOW IN A FLOODED RICE FIELD. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE LEFT, DAMAGING THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND PARTIALLY SEPARATING THE TAIL SECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.