Incident Overview
An agricultural airplane was spraying a cotton field approximately 5 feet above the ground when its right wing struck a guy wire. The wire extended from a transmission line along the south edge of the field and stabilized a pole, protruding into the cotton field. The aircraft was flying from west to east, parallel to the transmission line and perpendicular to the guy wire, during the pilot's first pass on the field.
Wing Strike and Damage
The guy wire struck the right wing about 4 feet inboard from the wing tip, tearing the end of the wing off. The separation of the wing section resulted in immediate loss of lift and control.
Subsequent Impact and Fire
After the wire strike, the airplane impacted the ground within 600 feet of the collision point. Upon impact, a fire erupted. The sequence of events, from the wing strike to the ground impact and fire, occurred rapidly.
Operational Context
The spraying operation was being conducted at very low altitude—approximately 5 feet above the crop canopy. The transmission line and its supporting guy wire were located along the southern boundary of the field. The pilot was making the first pass of the day over that field at the time of the accident.