What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was involved in aerial pesticide application, over a heavily forested area for the purpose of gypsy moth control. He started his duty day at 0600, at 1235 EDT he completed a section and was returning to base (empty hopper) when he struck high power tension lines. The aircraft struck the wires in a left wing down attitude, the steel cable severed a 5 foot section of the left wing which departed the aircraft and was later recovered from the river below. The aircraft continued on and crashed in rocky terrain, the aircraft and pilot were consumed by fire upon impact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN AERIAL PESTICIDE APPLICATION, OVER A HEAVILY FORESTED AREA FOR THE PURPOSE OF GYPSY MOTH CONTROL. HE STARTED HIS DUTY DAY AT 0600, AT 1235 EDT HE COMPLETED A SECTION AND WAS RETURNING TO BASE (EMPTY HOPPER) WHEN HE STRUCK HIGH POWER TENSION LINES. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE WIRES IN A LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE, THE STEEL CABLE SEVERED A 5 FOOT SECTION OF THE LEFT WING WHICH DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LATER RECOVERED FROM THE RIVER BELOW. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON AND CRASHED IN ROCKY TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT WERE CONSUMED BY FIRE UPON IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.