Accident Overview
An aerial application aircraft struck a tree with its left wing during a swath run, according to a flagman who witnessed the accident. The incident occurred while the aircraft was conducting an application pass over a field.
Flagman's Observations
The flagman reported that during the swath run, the aircraft was following the contour of the field. The flagman thought the pilot was getting close to the end of the field and was about to call him on the radio when the aircraft pulled up to approximately a 45-degree nose-high attitude. Immediately after, the left wing struck a tree.
Pilot Background
The accident marked the pilot's first aerial application job of the season. The day before the accident, the pilot had practiced aerial application for two hours.