What happened
During the first load of the day, the pilot performed circling maneuvers around the field to check for any obstructions. After completing several spray passes, the pilot entered a small triangular area of the field traveling from south to north. Wires were located bordering the northern end of the field.
As the pilot began to climb out of the field over a set of wires, he reported feeling as though the aircraft would not clear them. In an attempt to fly under the wires by pushing the nose down, the right wheel clipped the top of a pole, and the top of the tail struck the lower set of wires. Following the incident, another pilot in the area inspected the Piper and noted that the right wheel appeared slightly angled.
After confirming that all flight controls were functioning properly, the pilot completed the remainder of the load and proceeded to an alternate airport. Upon landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, causing the pilot to lose directional control. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway and came to a stop. After exiting the aircraft, the pilot discovered that the top portion of the rudder had been severed by the wire strike.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the top portion of the rudder had been severed due to the impact with the wires. Additionally, the right main landing gear failed during the landing phase.