What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was completing the first pass of third flight, appeared to be at a normal speed and altitude for a standard spraying pass when it struck power lines. GPS stopped tracking at conclusion of final spray pass before aircraft came to a stop. Aircraft had taken off from johnsons airport (DE09) for first flight of day at 0740 (full fuel), returned for fuel and insecticide, took off again at 0830 (added 22 gallons of fuel), returned to field again and took off for final flight prior to accident at 0910 (added 18 gallons of fuel). Prior to each flight the aircraft took on 120 gallons of insecticide/fungicide mix (liquid).
Aircraft came to a stop in the field immediately west of the field being sprayed, just across mahan corner road, approximately 220 feet north of tree line and 315 feet west of mahan corner road.
Aircraft believed to have struck power lines between 2nd and 3rd poles north from field driveway entrance where mahan corner road turns slightly east; approximate GPS: 39 deg 03?01.13?n 75 deg. 43?03.19 w. power lines suspended 25-40 feet above road on 40 foot poles. Witnesses stated that power lines had been detached from poles. The power lines had been repaired prior to FAA arrival on scene. Aircraft found facing towards the north, roughly parallel to mahan corner road. Area around aircraft had vehicle tire tracks in the soil, matted vegetation from foot prints from first responders adjacent to cockpit. Aircraft found with battery master on, magnetos switch off, fuel indicator at zero, gouge noted in underside of fuel tank. No fuel could be drained from tank. Cockpit and surrounding structure heavily damaged. Airspeed indicator dislodged from dash panel. GPS unit found dislodged from dash panel, hanging from wiring. Both propeller blade tips damaged from ground contact, engine detached from structure, sitting left side of fuselage, prop flange facing 90 degrees left of tail. Engine caked in dirt/debris. Fuselage aft of firewall lying on its side, leaning approximately 80 degrees toward #2 side. Both upper/lower wings almost completely detached from fuselage, although wings were intact, with no missing sections or control surfaces. Continuity of flight controls established for rudder and elevator. Ailerons could not be moved from control stick or from control surfaces. Impact scarring on ground noted just left of long axis of aircraft, extending out approximately 15 feet. Unidentified liquid stains on ground extending approximately 20 feet to right side of aircraft. No heat signatures from fire were found.
Pilot is unable to give statement at this time due to injuries. More information will be added as it becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETING THE FIRST PASS OF THIRD FLIGHT, APPEARED TO BE AT A NORMAL SPEED AND ALTITUDE FOR A STANDARD SPRAYING PASS WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES. GPS STOPPED TRACKING AT CONCLUSION OF FINAL SPRAY PASS BEFORE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. AIRCRAFT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM JOHNSONS AIRPORT (DE09) FOR FIRST FLIGHT OF DAY AT 0740 (FULL FUEL), RETURNED FOR FUEL AND INSECTICIDE, TOOK OFF AGAIN AT 0830 (ADDED 22 GALLONS OF FUEL), RETURNED TO FIELD AGAIN AND TOOK OFF FOR FINAL FLIGHT PRIOR TO ACCIDENT AT 0910 (ADDED 18 GALLONS OF FUEL). PRIOR TO EACH FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT TOOK ON 120 GALLONS OF INSECTICIDE/FUNGICIDE MIX (LIQUID).
AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN THE FIELD IMMEDIATELY WEST OF THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED, JUST ACROSS MAHAN CORNER ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 220 FEET NORTH OF TREE LINE AND 315 FEET WEST OF MAHAN CORNER ROAD.
AIRCRAFT BELIEVED TO HAVE STRUCK POWER LINES BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD POLES NORTH FROM FIELD DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE WHERE MAHAN CORNER ROAD TURNS SLIGHTLY EAST; APPROXIMATE GPS: 39 DEG 03?01.13?N 75 DEG. 43?03.19 W. POWER LINES SUSPENDED 25-40 FEET ABOVE ROAD ON 40 FOOT POLES. WITNESSES STATED THAT POWER LINES HAD BEEN DETACHED FROM POLES. THE POWER LINES HAD BEEN REPAIRED PRIOR TO FAA ARRIVAL ON SCENE. AIRCRAFT FOUND FACING TOWARDS THE NORTH, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO MAHAN CORNER ROAD. AREA AROUND AIRCRAFT HAD VEHICLE TIRE TRACKS IN THE SOIL, MATTED VEGETATION FROM FOOT PRINTS FROM FIRST RESPONDERS ADJACENT TO COCKPIT. AIRCRAFT FOUND WITH BATTERY MASTER ON, MAGNETOS SWITCH OFF, FUEL INDICATOR AT ZERO, GOUGE NOTED IN UNDERSIDE OF FUEL TANK. NO FUEL COULD BE DRAINED FROM TANK. COCKPIT AND SURROUNDING STRUCTURE HEAVILY DAMAGED. AIRSPEED INDICATOR DISLODGED FROM DASH PANEL. GPS UNIT FOUND DISLODGED FROM DASH PANEL, HANGING FROM WIRING. BOTH PROPELLER BLADE TIPS DAMAGED FROM GROUND CONTACT, ENGINE DETACHED FROM STRUCTURE, SITTING LEFT SIDE OF FUSELAGE, PROP FLANGE FACING 90 DEGREES LEFT OF TAIL. ENGINE CAKED IN DIRT/DEBRIS. FUSELAGE AFT OF FIREWALL LYING ON ITS SIDE, LEANING APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES TOWARD #2 SIDE. BOTH UPPER/LOWER WINGS ALMOST COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM FUSELAGE, ALTHOUGH WINGS WERE INTACT, WITH NO MISSING SECTIONS OR CONTROL SURFACES. CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROLS ESTABLISHED FOR RUDDER AND ELEVATOR. AILERONS COULD NOT BE MOVED FROM CONTROL STICK OR FROM CONTROL SURFACES. IMPACT SCARRING ON GROUND NOTED JUST LEFT OF LONG AXIS OF AIRCRAFT, EXTENDING OUT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET. UNIDENTIFIED LIQUID STAINS ON GROUND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET TO RIGHT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT. NO HEAT SIGNATURES FROM FIRE WERE FOUND.
PILOT IS UNABLE TO GIVE STATEMENT AT THIS TIME DUE TO INJURIES. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE ADDED AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.