What happened
During an herbicide spraying operation over a cotton field, an agricultural aircraft was engaged in a maneuver known as "trimming the field." During this process, six witnesses observed the aircraft at various stages of its flight path. Three of these witnesses reported seeing the airplane strike a 180-foot tower and the guy wires used to support the structure.
Following the collision with the tower and guy wires, the aircraft impacted the ground and exploded. Physical evidence recovered from the site indicated that the impact with the tower and wires occurred at an altitude of approximately 145 feet AGL. The proximity of the wreckage to the tower, along with marks found on the tower and guy wires, corroborated the accounts provided by eyewitnesses.
The investigation
The investigation included a medical examination of the pilot. An autopsy was performed, which found no pre-existing medical conditions that could have contributed to the accident. Toxicology results were negative for ethanol, cyanide, and carbon monoxide; however, acetaminophen was detected in the urine at a level of 7.381 ug/ml.
Further investigation confirmed that the pilot had previously performed spraying operations in these specific fields and was aware of the presence of the tower.