Incident Overview
An aircraft on a wildlife survey mission struck an electrical transmission line and subsequently crashed into a river. The aircraft was performing a duck count along a river within a national wildlife refuge, a task that required low-altitude, slow-speed maneuvering.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was flying beneath an electrical transmission line when its left wing tip contacted a 2-foot-diameter cable. The wing tip struck the line while the aircraft was in a 20-degree right bank. After the impact, the aircraft descended and impacted the river approximately one-eighth of a mile downstream from the wire location. The transmission line was situated 80 feet above the water surface.
Pilot and Mission Details
The pilot, an experienced former agricultural applicator, was familiar with the survey mission and the area being surveyed. The flight was part of a wildlife survey operation focused on counting ducks along the river corridor.