What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident occurred during the first field of the third load of spraying for the day. I inspected the field from overhead and determined that working the field north/south, passing beneath high-tension lines, would require the least amount of maneuvering with the most consistent passes in the heavy plane. I opened the field with the first pass southbound, on the west edge of the field. This allowed me to pass beneath lines near the tower and assess the wire height for next pass in the sag. The second pass was entered northbound, on the east side, and I struck the wire approx. 8IN down from the top of the rudder. The rudder was removed at impact with the wire. The aircraft remained briefly stable so I attempted to land straight ahead into a corn stubbled field. The aircraft slowly listed to the left during the approach and was uncorrectable without rudder. I reduced the power to idle to slow for touchdown. The aircraft contacted the ground moving sideways to the right. The right gear collapsed followed by what seemed to be two more ground strikes in a roll or flip. The fuselage came to rest moving backwards and upright.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST FIELD OF THE THIRD LOAD OF SPRAYING FOR THE DAY. I INSPECTED THE FIELD FROM OVERHEAD AND DETERMINED THAT WORKING THE FIELD NORTH/SOUTH, PASSING BENEATH HIGH-TENSION LINES, WOULD REQUIRE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MANEUVERING WITH THE MOST CONSISTENT PASSES IN THE HEAVY PLANE. I OPENED THE FIELD WITH THE FIRST PASS SOUTHBOUND, ON THE WEST EDGE OF THE FIELD. THIS ALLOWED ME TO PASS BENEATH LINES NEAR THE TOWER AND ASSESS THE WIRE HEIGHT FOR NEXT PASS IN THE SAG. THE SECOND PASS WAS ENTERED NORTHBOUND, ON THE EAST SIDE, AND I STRUCK THE WIRE APPROX. 8IN DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE RUDDER. THE RUDDER WAS REMOVED AT IMPACT WITH THE WIRE. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED BRIEFLY STABLE SO I ATTEMPTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO A CORN STUBBLED FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY LISTED TO THE LEFT DURING THE APPROACH AND WAS UNCORRECTABLE WITHOUT RUDDER. I REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE TO SLOW FOR TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND MOVING SIDEWAYS TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED FOLLOWED BY WHAT SEEMED TO BE TWO MORE GROUND STRIKES IN A ROLL OR FLIP. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST MOVING BACKWARDS AND UPRIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.