What happened
The aircraft was conducting agricultural operations, specifically spraying pesticide over rye grass located along a rural road. During this low-altitude flight phase, the Grumman AgCat biplane collided with a series of power and telephone lines. The pilot reported that he did not see the lines prior to the impact.
The infrastructure involved consisted of power poles spaced approximately 1,000 feet apart. At the specific location where the aircraft crossed diagonally over the road, the catenary curve of the lines was near its lowest point, which may have contributed to the visibility issues experienced by the pilot.
The investigation
Investigation details regarding mechanical examination or physical evidence collection are not provided in the source material.
Findings
The primary contributing factor identified was the presence of unmarked power lines. The lack of marking on the cables, combined with their position near the low point of the catenary curve at the crossing site, created a hazard that was not visible to the pilot during the spraying operation.