What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Saturday 7/23/2022, N4046S, S2R-T34 aircraft s/n T34-266.
While performing crop dusting operations, struck the guyed wires of a 561? Radio tower and crashed into a bean field 6 miles north of interstate 40 and east of state highway 75. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-crash fire. Weather conditions were clear, hot and humid with no cloud cover. The PIC was extricated by the cross county sherriff recovery team. No eye witnesses have been located.
First ground impact appears to be at the location of the wreckage, 200 feet east of state highway 75 and 200? North of the tower. 3 of the 4 guyed wires from the western anchor point sheared and were found in the direction of flight and close to the main wreckage. The tail section and wings were not consumed in the fire but sustained extensive damage in the impact. The right wing showed evidence of a cable ripping through the wing structure. The left wing was buried and destroyed during impact. The fuselage was extensively burned with all side panels melted. Due to the extensive damage, we were unable to confirm flight control continuity.
Adsb data shows the aircraft made many passes in the fields north of the tower and returning to base to re-fill the aircraft?s reservoir. The final pass shows the aircraft turned north toward base south of the tower, but did not have enough altitude to clear the guyed wires and contacted the western cables.
In an interview with privacy data omitted of the ag-operation, preflight instruction was performed with the grandfather and father of the PIC. In each case the tower and cables were discussed and concern expressed for the safety of the situation.
As the FAA filed it
SATURDAY 7/23/2022, N4046S, S2R-T34 AIRCRAFT S/N T34-266.
WHILE PERFORMING CROP DUSTING OPERATIONS, STRUCK THE GUYED WIRES OF A 561? RADIO TOWER AND CRASHED INTO A BEAN FIELD 6 MILES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AND EAST OF STATE HIGHWAY 75. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR, HOT AND HUMID WITH NO CLOUD COVER. THE PIC WAS EXTRICATED BY THE CROSS COUNTY SHERRIFF RECOVERY TEAM. NO EYE WITNESSES HAVE BEEN LOCATED.
FIRST GROUND IMPACT APPEARS TO BE AT THE LOCATION OF THE WRECKAGE, 200 FEET EAST OF STATE HIGHWAY 75 AND 200? NORTH OF THE TOWER. 3 OF THE 4 GUYED WIRES FROM THE WESTERN ANCHOR POINT SHEARED AND WERE FOUND IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT AND CLOSE TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE TAIL SECTION AND WINGS WERE NOT CONSUMED IN THE FIRE BUT SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE IMPACT. THE RIGHT WING SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A CABLE RIPPING THROUGH THE WING STRUCTURE. THE LEFT WING WAS BURIED AND DESTROYED DURING IMPACT. THE FUSELAGE WAS EXTENSIVELY BURNED WITH ALL SIDE PANELS MELTED. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONFIRM FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY.
ADSB DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT MADE MANY PASSES IN THE FIELDS NORTH OF THE TOWER AND RETURNING TO BASE TO RE-FILL THE AIRCRAFT?S RESERVOIR. THE FINAL PASS SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED NORTH TOWARD BASE SOUTH OF THE TOWER, BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE GUYED WIRES AND CONTACTED THE WESTERN CABLES.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AG-OPERATION, PREFLIGHT INSTRUCTION WAS PERFORMED WITH THE GRANDFATHER AND FATHER OF THE PIC. IN EACH CASE THE TOWER AND CABLES WERE DISCUSSED AND CONCERN EXPRESSED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE SITUATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.