What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At 1753 local time the pilot in command of a Piper malibu mirage attempted landing at Pegasus Airpark (5AZ3) runway 26 from a straight in approach with poor visibility caused by setting sun. Instead of Pegasus Airpark, the pilot mistakenly lined up on an irrigation canal 2.3 miles east of runway 26 and flew a final approach to the canal. On what he assumed was short final to runway 26, the pilot saw high tension power lines in his flight path and descended to avoid them. Aircraft struck the lowest power line which sheared off the top half of the aircraft's vertical stabilizer and removed the entire rudder. The aircraft remained airborne and the PIC flew the aircraft to a landing at falcon field (kffz).
As the FAA filed it
AT 1753 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A PIPER MALIBU MIRAGE ATTEMPTED LANDING AT PEGASUS AIRPARK (5AZ3) RUNWAY 26 FROM A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH WITH POOR VISIBILITY CAUSED BY SETTING SUN. INSTEAD OF PEGASUS AIRPARK, THE PILOT MISTAKENLY LINED UP ON AN IRRIGATION CANAL 2.3 MILES EAST OF RUNWAY 26 AND FLEW A FINAL APPROACH TO THE CANAL. ON WHAT HE ASSUMED WAS SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 26, THE PILOT SAW HIGH TENSION POWER LINES IN HIS FLIGHT PATH AND DESCENDED TO AVOID THEM. AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE LOWEST POWER LINE WHICH SHEARED OFF THE TOP HALF OF THE AIRCRAFT'S VERTICAL STABILIZER AND REMOVED THE ENTIRE RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED AIRBORNE AND THE PIC FLEW THE AIRCRAFT TO A LANDING AT FALCON FIELD (KFFZ).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.