What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aerial applicator was flying for the purpose of programming entry and exit points into the aircrafts onboard GPS. The airman planned to apply chemical to the field the following day. The airman had previously completed application to four fields that day.
The subject field is an irrigated circle on a quarter section plot. Located within the quarter section plot and northeast of the irrigated field is a broadcast antenna, 854 feet in height above ground level. The antenna has three sets of diverging supporting cables with each set anchored at two points on the ground and spaced approximately 250 feet and 500 feet from the tower structure.
The airman was flying on a northwesterly heading, intending to fly southwest of the antenna supporting cables. The aircraft flew between two of the ground anchor points supporting cables extending west southwest of the tower and striking the left wing, severing the outboard 5 feet of the wing including the outboard portion of the aileron. The aileron control rod was separated from the aileron at the attach point. The separated portion of the left wing and aileron was found at the site of the wire strike.
The aircraft continued to fly, though significant control issues were reported by the pilot. The airman was able to control the aircraft and flew southeast, approximately 20 nautical miles, to his base of operation airport, which was also the closest airport with emergency services. During the return flight the airman jettisoned his chemical load of approximately 6 gallons and contacted his wife by cell phone. The airman informed her of the situation and requested emergency services respond to the airport of intended landing. The airman took this precaution because he believed that a controlled landing may not be possible with the extent of aircraft damage.
The airman landed on runway 14, into the wind, and reduced power at the point he thought the landing gear made contact with the runway surface. The aircraft, upon reduction of power, rolled to the left, cart wheeling before coming to a rest upright and facing 180 degrees from direction of travel. The airman suffered a right broken collar bone but was able to extricate himself from the wreckage. Seat belt airbags deployed during the landing. Although a question of whether the right airbag deployed normally due to partial separation where attached and that investigation is continuing.
Additional aircraft damage noted was the engine and propeller assembly separated from the airframe, removing the left side engine cowling and severe impact damage to the left wing outboard portion, and the fuselage, aft of the cockpit.
As the FAA filed it
AERIAL APPLICATOR WAS FLYING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROGRAMMING ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS INTO THE AIRCRAFTS ONBOARD GPS. THE AIRMAN PLANNED TO APPLY CHEMICAL TO THE FIELD THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE AIRMAN HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED APPLICATION TO FOUR FIELDS THAT DAY.
THE SUBJECT FIELD IS AN IRRIGATED CIRCLE ON A QUARTER SECTION PLOT. LOCATED WITHIN THE QUARTER SECTION PLOT AND NORTHEAST OF THE IRRIGATED FIELD IS A BROADCAST ANTENNA, 854 FEET IN HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE ANTENNA HAS THREE SETS OF DIVERGING SUPPORTING CABLES WITH EACH SET ANCHORED AT TWO POINTS ON THE GROUND AND SPACED APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET AND 500 FEET FROM THE TOWER STRUCTURE.
THE AIRMAN WAS FLYING ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING, INTENDING TO FLY SOUTHWEST OF THE ANTENNA SUPPORTING CABLES. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW BETWEEN TWO OF THE GROUND ANCHOR POINTS SUPPORTING CABLES EXTENDING WEST SOUTHWEST OF THE TOWER AND STRIKING THE LEFT WING, SEVERING THE OUTBOARD 5 FEET OF THE WING INCLUDING THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE AILERON. THE AILERON CONTROL ROD WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AILERON AT THE ATTACH POINT. THE SEPARATED PORTION OF THE LEFT WING AND AILERON WAS FOUND AT THE SITE OF THE WIRE STRIKE.
THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO FLY, THOUGH SIGNIFICANT CONTROL ISSUES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRMAN WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT AND FLEW SOUTHEAST, APPROXIMATELY 20 NAUTICAL MILES, TO HIS BASE OF OPERATION AIRPORT, WHICH WAS ALSO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES. DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT THE AIRMAN JETTISONED HIS CHEMICAL LOAD OF APPROXIMATELY 6 GALLONS AND CONTACTED HIS WIFE BY CELL PHONE. THE AIRMAN INFORMED HER OF THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED EMERGENCY SERVICES RESPOND TO THE AIRPORT OF INTENDED LANDING. THE AIRMAN TOOK THIS PRECAUTION BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT A CONTROLLED LANDING MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE WITH THE EXTENT OF AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.
THE AIRMAN LANDED ON RUNWAY 14, INTO THE WIND, AND REDUCED POWER AT THE POINT HE THOUGHT THE LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT, UPON REDUCTION OF POWER, ROLLED TO THE LEFT, CART WHEELING BEFORE COMING TO A REST UPRIGHT AND FACING 180 DEGREES FROM DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. THE AIRMAN SUFFERED A RIGHT BROKEN COLLAR BONE BUT WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE. SEAT BELT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE LANDING. ALTHOUGH A QUESTION OF WHETHER THE RIGHT AIRBAG DEPLOYED NORMALLY DUE TO PARTIAL SEPARATION WHERE ATTACHED AND THAT INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING.
ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE NOTED WAS THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME, REMOVING THE LEFT SIDE ENGINE COWLING AND SEVERE IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD PORTION, AND THE FUSELAGE, AFT OF THE COCKPIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.