What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
17 June 2019...
Monday morning flight departed mej airport to spray a pasture east of Liberal, Kansas. AWOS reported winds 140-6KT, at approximately 11:30AM, condition necessary to avoid sensitive crops. Upon arrival, pasture was circled to observe obstacles. On the 3rd pass from the east side of pasture following satloc a-b line north, aircraft struck an abandoned galvanized windmill tower. Tower was partially hidden by shadow from cloud and general downhill slope of pasture. The pilot's attention was on a shed and electrical lines. Impact occurred about 3-4 feet right of fuselage on the right wing. Chemical sprayed on windshield and side windows and obscured vision. The pilot felt aircraft pitch up some and tried to correct slightly before ground impact. Aircraft struck and felt like it slid, then reversed direction. Aircraft stopped with pilot's leg lightly pinned by control stick. The pilot then shut master switch and fuel off, removed seat and shoulder harnesses and helmet and exited on to the left wing. Fuel did not appear to be leaking. The pilot attempted to dial 911 with cell phone was unsuccessful, but was able to call the office who alerted seward county sheriff's office. Post-accident viewing revealed part of the right elevator was just north of tower, most of the rest of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were detached at wreck site. The pilot will be counseled by the ops unit in accordance with compliance action documents by ops unit.
As the FAA filed it
17 JUNE 2019...
MONDAY MORNING FLIGHT DEPARTED MEJ AIRPORT TO SPRAY A PASTURE EAST OF LIBERAL, KANSAS. AWOS REPORTED WINDS 140-6KT, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30AM, CONDITION NECESSARY TO AVOID SENSITIVE CROPS. UPON ARRIVAL, PASTURE WAS CIRCLED TO OBSERVE OBSTACLES. ON THE 3RD PASS FROM THE EAST SIDE OF PASTURE FOLLOWING SATLOC A-B LINE NORTH, AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN ABANDONED GALVANIZED WINDMILL TOWER. TOWER WAS PARTIALLY HIDDEN BY SHADOW FROM CLOUD AND GENERAL DOWNHILL SLOPE OF PASTURE. THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS ON A SHED AND ELECTRICAL LINES. IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 3-4 FEET RIGHT OF FUSELAGE ON THE RIGHT WING. CHEMICAL SPRAYED ON WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS AND OBSCURED VISION. THE PILOT FELT AIRCRAFT PITCH UP SOME AND TRIED TO CORRECT SLIGHTLY BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND FELT LIKE IT SLID, THEN REVERSED DIRECTION. AIRCRAFT STOPPED WITH PILOT'S LEG LIGHTLY PINNED BY CONTROL STICK. THE PILOT THEN SHUT MASTER SWITCH AND FUEL OFF, REMOVED SEAT AND SHOULDER HARNESSES AND HELMET AND EXITED ON TO THE LEFT WING. FUEL DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LEAKING. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DIAL 911 WITH CELL PHONE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT WAS ABLE TO CALL THE OFFICE WHO ALERTED SEWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. POST-ACCIDENT VIEWING REVEALED PART OF THE RIGHT ELEVATOR WAS JUST NORTH OF TOWER, MOST OF THE REST OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE DETACHED AT WRECK SITE. THE PILOT WILL BE COUNSELED BY THE OPS UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPLIANCE ACTION DOCUMENTS BY OPS UNIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.