What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 24, 2011, aircraft N3169C, an Air tractor model at -301, struck a power line while dispensing defoliant on a crop field near O'Brien, FL. The pilot, privacy data omitted, while manuvering to re-enter the field, momentarily lost vision of the power wire due to obscurity on the windshield create by the spray agent. The pilot stated that when he angled the aircraft into the sun it created a glare causing him to loose vision of the power lines. The seven powerlines cross the field at an angle from north east to south west. The pilot strucked the third line from the bottom. The pilot estimated lines to be about fifty feet above the ground. After striking the line, the pilot maintained control and returned to his home base of operation located eight miles from where the incident occurred. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right wing leading edge, right wing spray boom and engine cowling. The pilot was not injured.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 24, 2011, AIRCRAFT N3169C, AN AIR TRACTOR MODEL AT -301, STRUCK A POWER LINE WHILE DISPENSING DEFOLIANT ON A CROP FIELD NEAR O'BRIEN, FL. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHILE MANUVERING TO RE-ENTER THE FIELD, MOMENTARILY LOST VISION OF THE POWER WIRE DUE TO OBSCURITY ON THE WINDSHIELD CREATE BY THE SPRAY AGENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE ANGLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE SUN IT CREATED A GLARE CAUSING HIM TO LOOSE VISION OF THE POWER LINES. THE SEVEN POWERLINES CROSS THE FIELD AT AN ANGLE FROM NORTH EAST TO SOUTH WEST. THE PILOT STRUCKED THE THIRD LINE FROM THE BOTTOM. THE PILOT ESTIMATED LINES TO BE ABOUT FIFTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AFTER STRIKING THE LINE, THE PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL AND RETURNED TO HIS HOME BASE OF OPERATION LOCATED EIGHT MILES FROM WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, RIGHT WING SPRAY BOOM AND ENGINE COWLING. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.