What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot had completed spraying a cotton field wiht malithion for the boll weevil eradication program. On departing the field he collided with a water pump standpipe, 6 inches in diameter and 30 feet tall, 800 feet north of the cotton field. The pipe, located at 34 degrees 15.7 minutes north and 101 degrees 31.0 minutes west was struck at 24 feet above the ground and laid down on a heading of about 300 degrees. 4.5 feet of the left wing tip and 12 inches of the left aileron were left at the site in floyd county, near providence TX. The pilot flew the airplane to a final crash site 268 degrees and 4.6 nautical miles from the standpipe to hale county, Plainview TX located at 34 degrees 15.2 minutes north and 101 degrees 36.5 with a final impact heading of about 185 degrees. Just before the final impact the pilot transmitted that he could not hold it any more. Witnesses saw the left wing drop, touch the ground, and the aircraft cartwheeled to a stop, upside down. There were no known, reported or found maintenance malfunctions or deficiencies with the airplane. The pilot struck a fixed object during flight. (.4) the pilot was completing an aerial application to a field when the airplane's left wing struck a standpipe. After the airplane struck the pipe, it traveled to the west approximately 4 miles. The pilot then reported that "he could not hold it anymore", and subsequently, the airplane impacted the terrain. The 30-foot tall standpipe displayed an impact mark approximately 4 feet from the top. The outer 4 1/2 feet of the left wing, outer 1 foot of the left aileron, and red glass from the left navigation light lens, were found in a 300-foot long debris field northwest of the standpipe.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT HAD COMPLETED SPRAYING A COTTON FIELD WIHT MALITHION FOR THE BOLL WEEVIL ERADICATION PROGRAM. ON DEPARTING THE FIELD HE COLLIDED WITH A WATER PUMP STANDPIPE, 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 30 FEET TALL, 800 FEET NORTH OF THE COTTON FIELD. THE PIPE, LOCATED AT 34 DEGREES 15.7 MINUTES NORTH AND 101 DEGREES 31.0 MINUTES WEST WAS STRUCK AT 24 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND LAID DOWN ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 300 DEGREES. 4.5 FEET OF THE LEFT WING TIP AND 12 INCHES OF THE LEFT AILERON WERE LEFT AT THE SITE IN FLOYD COUNTY, NEAR PROVIDENCE TX. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO A FINAL CRASH SITE 268 DEGREES AND 4.6 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE STANDPIPE TO HALE COUNTY, PLAINVIEW TX LOCATED AT 34 DEGREES 15.2 MINUTES NORTH AND 101 DEGREES 36.5 WITH A FINAL IMPACT HEADING OF ABOUT 185 DEGREES. JUST BEFORE THE FINAL IMPACT THE PILOT TRANSMITTED THAT HE COULD NOT HOLD IT ANY MORE. WITNESSES SAW THE LEFT WING DROP, TOUCH THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED TO A STOP, UPSIDE DOWN. THERE WERE NO KNOWN, REPORTED OR FOUND MAINTENANCE MALFUNCTIONS OR DEFICIENCIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STRUCK A FIXED OBJECT DURING FLIGHT. (.4) THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING AN AERIAL APPLICATION TO A FIELD WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK A STANDPIPE. AFTER THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE PIPE, IT TRAVELED TO THE WEST APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED THAT "HE COULD NOT HOLD IT ANYMORE", AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE 30-FOOT TALL STANDPIPE DISPLAYED AN IMPACT MARK APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET FROM THE TOP. THE OUTER 4 1/2 FEET OF THE LEFT WING, OUTER 1 FOOT OF THE LEFT AILERON, AND RED GLASS FROM THE LEFT NAVIGATION LIGHT LENS, WERE FOUND IN A 300-FOOT LONG DEBRIS FIELD NORTHWEST OF THE STANDPIPE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.