On July 25, 1996, a Piper PA-25-235 (registration N9624P) was involved in an aviation accident near Cornelius, OR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual scanning while conducting low-level agricultural operations, which resulted in the aircraft striking a transmission cable. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural aircraft struck a transmission cable while spraying a field, resulting in a crash. The pilot had not seen the cable prior to impact.
What happened
The incident occurred during an agricultural operation near the departure airport. The pilot was conducting crop dusting activities on a field adjacent to the airfield. During the initial pass, the pilot pulled up over powerlines at the end of the field after noticing a car passing by in the area.
During a subsequent spray run along the same field, the aircraft struck a transmission cable located near the end of the field. The impact caused the airplane to crash. The pilot later reported that he was unaware of the presence of the cable until just moments before the collision occurred.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual scanning while conducting low-level agricultural operations, which resulted in the aircraft striking a transmission cable.