What happened
Two aircraft were conducting simultaneous agricultural spraying operations in the same field. A farm hand was employed as a flagger to mark the last crop row sprayed by the aircraft. This individual had served as a flagger for the previous two seasons and had received prior briefing on flagging operations from the pilot, who was also the farm owner.
However, on the day of the incident, the flagger was not briefed on where to begin counting the crop rows. The flagger was positioned too close to the approach end of the field, which prevented them from walking clear of the aircraft once the spray run had commenced.
The pilot of the second aircraft began the first run after the completion of the first swath by the first aircraft. After passing over trees that lined the approach end of the field, the pilot looked away from the flagger to spot the first aircraft. When the pilot looked back at the flagger, they observed that the individual was walking parallel to the crop rows with their back to the approaching aircraft.
A medical report indicated that the flagger's injuries were located on her right side.