What happened
The pilot and passenger were operating an aircraft in the vicinity of a river and a pond, searching for stray cattle. While flying at approximately 400 feet above the ground, the passenger believed they spotted an object at the north end of a pond. Because the crew could not clearly identify the object, they initiated a descent to get a better view.
During this descent, the aircraft struck electrical transmission wires. The collision caused the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent, resulting in an impact with the water in the pond. The crew reported that they did not see the wires or the supporting poles prior to the collision. An FAA safety inspector noted that three wires were broken following the incident. The support poles, located on land, were spaced approximately 1,140 feet apart.