What happened
The flight involved an agricultural spraying operation conducted over a large mosquito abatement district. To manage the scope of the work, the district had been mapped out into several smaller, distinct areas designated for treatment. Because of the extensive number of sections requiring coverage, the pilot did not inspect each individual area for potential obstacles before beginning the flight.
While operating in a new section of the district, the aircraft collided with powerlines. Following the impact, the pilot initiated an emergency landing and successfully touched down in a nearby pasture.
The investigation
The operational context was defined by the logistical challenges of covering a large abatement zone. The decision-making process regarding obstacle avoidance was influenced by the volume of work required across multiple mapped areas.