What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot of aircraft was spraying fields in Ashburn Georgia that had power lines surrounding the area. The aircraft was traveling west to east and clipped the main power line which took a chunk out of the propeller, arced down the right side of cabin and ripped off all but approximately 24 inches of vertical stabilizer. The pilot, after realizing he had no rudder control, could not land immediately due to trees at the east end of field and turned north to try to come back around to land in the same field. The pilot again came in again in west to east direction and put the aircraft down in a cow pasture taking out several fence posts and coming safely to a stop in the same field he was spraying. The aircraft came to rest facing west and obtained substantial damage. There were no injuries to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT OF AIRCRAFT WAS SPRAYING FIELDS IN ASHBURN GEORGIA THAT HAD POWER LINES SURROUNDING THE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING WEST TO EAST AND CLIPPED THE MAIN POWER LINE WHICH TOOK A CHUNK OUT OF THE PROPELLER, ARCED DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE OF CABIN AND RIPPED OFF ALL BUT APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OF VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT, AFTER REALIZING HE HAD NO RUDDER CONTROL, COULD NOT LAND IMMEDIATELY DUE TO TREES AT THE EAST END OF FIELD AND TURNED NORTH TO TRY TO COME BACK AROUND TO LAND IN THE SAME FIELD. THE PILOT AGAIN CAME IN AGAIN IN WEST TO EAST DIRECTION AND PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A COW PASTURE TAKING OUT SEVERAL FENCE POSTS AND COMING SAFELY TO A STOP IN THE SAME FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING WEST AND OBTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.