CHI97LA150

The pilot was conducting an agricultural spraying operation when the airplane hit a static wire at the top of a power line. The pilot was flying parallel to the power line during the spraying operation. Witnesses reported that the pilot began a pull up and left turn, when the airplane's left wing tip struck the static wire. Aircraft and engine examinations did not reveal any discrepancy. The pilot said that he failed to keep the power line foremost in his mind, and that he was looking past the wires to the far end of the pasture that he was spraying and did not see the wire that the airplane hit.

On May 29, 1997 at 1858 central daylight time (cdt), a Grumman G164, N474Y, was conducting agricultural spraying operations near Illinois City, Illinois, when the airplane hit a static wire, impacted with the terrain and then flipped inverted. The pilot was flying parallel to the power lines during the spraying operations. Witnesses reported that the pilot began a pull up and left turn, when the airplane's left wing tip struck the static line. The commercial rated pilot of the airplane was taken to a local hospital following the accident with serious back injuries. The 14 CFR Part 137 agricultural flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight.

The investigator in charge (IIC) contacted a local volunteer fire chief who had responded to the initial accident call. The fire chief was also a pilot and and he documented the accident site for the IIC. The first pieces of airplane he found in the wreckage path were pieces of left wing leading edge. These leading edge pieces were found very close to the powerlines. The distance from these first pieces to the main wreckage was approximately 130 yards. Just prior to the main wreckage there were ground scar marks which appeared to match the pattern of the airplane's landing gear. Both blades on the propeller were curled back, and one blade's leading edge was jagged along its leading edge. The fire chief believed that the jagged leading edge was caused by the propeller striking a wire. All flight controls appeared to be connected correctly. The cockpit engine controls were found with the throttle in a mid range position, the magnetos were in the both position, the propeller was full forward, and the mixture was full rich. Fuel was found in the airplane's left and center fuel tanks. Fuel was also found in the line which runs from the gascalator to the fuel valve. The fuel valve was found in a position between fuel tanks.

The pilot of the airplane was contacted by telephone on June 12, 1997. The pilot of the accident aircraft reported to the IIC that there were no discrepancies with the airplane or the engine before the accident. The pilot said that he just did not see the wire which the airplane hit.

The airplane's left wing struts were broken, the vertical fin, rudder and upper wing were crushed.