What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was conducting aerial application operations over a rice field during daylight hours, utilizing the back-to-back spraying method. After completing approximately one-third of the field, the pilot returned to the facility to reload with insecticide.
Upon returning to the field, the pilot completed one north–south spray pass. While turning back to initiate a southbound pass, a flock of birds suddenly took flight as the pilot was descending to dispensing altitude. While maneuvering to avoid the birds, the pilot lost situational awareness of the aircraft’s altitude, resulting in controlled flight into terrain (cfit).
The right wing struck the ground first, causing approximately two-thirds of the wing to separate from the aircraft. The right landing gear and propeller also impacted the ground. The aircraft then skidded along the wet rice field, crossed over an east–west berm, and came to rest on a north–south berm.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS OVER A RICE FIELD DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, UTILIZING THE BACK-TO-BACK SPRAYING METHOD. AFTER COMPLETING APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE FIELD, THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE FACILITY TO RELOAD WITH INSECTICIDE.
UPON RETURNING TO THE FIELD, THE PILOT COMPLETED ONE NORTH–SOUTH SPRAY PASS. WHILE TURNING BACK TO INITIATE A SOUTHBOUND PASS, A FLOCK OF BIRDS SUDDENLY TOOK FLIGHT AS THE PILOT WAS DESCENDING TO DISPENSING ALTITUDE. WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID THE BIRDS, THE PILOT LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE AIRCRAFT’S ALTITUDE, RESULTING IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (CFIT).
THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND FIRST, CAUSING APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE WING TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND PROPELLER ALSO IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED ALONG THE WET RICE FIELD, CROSSED OVER AN EAST–WEST BERM, AND CAME TO REST ON A NORTH–SOUTH BERM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7315L · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.