Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate distance from a power line during low altitude flight operations, which resulted in an impact with the power line, and subsequent impact with the ground.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that during an agricultural application flight, he was making spray passes under a power line. During the last pass, the left wing of the airplane struck the power line, and the airplane descended and impacted the ground. The pilot exited the airplane, and a postcrash fire ensued.
The pilot reported that he believed he encountered a dust devil which caused the left wing to rise and contact the power line. About the time of the accident, a nearby weather reporting station was reporting, temperature 90 degrees Fahrenheit and wind from 120 degrees true at 4 knots.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA15CA266