Accident Details
While spraying herbicides over a cotton field, the agricultural aircraft was executing a maneuver known as 'trimming the field.' Six witnesses observed the airplane at various stages of the operation. Three of them saw the aircraft strike a 180-foot tower and the associated guy wires. Following the in-flight collision, the airplane impacted the ground and exploded.
Evidence
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane struck the guy wires and the tower at an altitude of approximately 145 feet above ground level (AGL). Witness marks on the tower and the guy wires, along with the proximity of the wreckage to the tower, corroborated the eyewitness accounts.
Pilot Medical and Toxicology
An autopsy performed on the pilot found no pre-existing medical conditions that could have contributed to the accident. Toxicology testing was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. Acetaminophen was detected in the urine at a concentration of 7.381 µg/ml (µg/g).
Pilot Familiarity
The pilot had previously performed spraying operations in these fields and was aware of the tower's presence.