What happened
The pilot was preparing to spray a potato field using a mixture of water and two pounds of 'Blight-Out.' Before beginning the application, he made an observation pass over the field to check for obstructions. During this pass, he noticed two sets of power lines: one located on the east side of a road and another on the west side.
The pilot initiated his spray pass toward the east. He stated that he fixated on top of a power line pole to establish the height of the wires. As he pulled up for the pole, he realized he was on the wrong side of the road. The west wires blended in with the wires on the east side of the road. Because he had very little altitude, the pilot decided to fly underneath the power lines. The pilot said he collided with the power lines and crashed, flipped inverted, and skidded to a halt.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the collision. The pilot's account indicated that visual confusion between the two sets of power lines contributed to the decision to fly underneath them at low altitude.