What happened
During a local aerial application flight maneuver, the pilot was monitoring for wires at the entrance area of a field. Upon spotting transmission wires, the pilot nosed the aircraft down to clear them; however, the left wing obscured a pole from view, causing the aircraft to dive into the structure.
Following the collision, the pilot flew the airplane to the airport. During the landing flare and touchdown phase, as power was reduced, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The plane veered to the left, causing the left wing to strike the ground. This resulted in the aircraft cartwheeling before coming to a stop in an upright position.
Following the impact, a fire erupted near the engine fuel lines, which witnesses were able to extinguish. Debris including the left wing tip, the aileron, and several feet of the wing were found near a downed powerline pole, where paint transfer was also identified. At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing haze and overcast ceilings. The pilot was not injured.