What happened
On the day of the accident, the pilot was contracted to spray the Wayne Company Wildlife Club Pond. Prior to the mission, the pilot surveyed the area and noted various obstacles around the lake. After returning to the aircraft's base to load chemicals into the hopper tank, the pilot departed for the spraying operation.
During the process of spraying larger sections and smaller coves of the lake, the pilot encountered a 1/4 inch diameter cable stretched across one of the coves at approximately 15-20 feet above ground level. Just before impact, the pilot observed the cable. The tail wheel of the unspecified aircraft collided with the wire, causing it to separate from its connection to a tree.
The flight continued momentarily after the strike, but the cable became wrapped around the tail section. This resulted in significant damage to the elevator flight controls, the vertical stabilizer, and the right elevator. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a corn field. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the accident site and the aircraft. The inspection confirmed that the aircraft had collided with an unmarked .250 inch diameter cable stretched between two trees in the southeast cove; the cable remained secured to one of the trees.
Mechanical examination of the aircraft revealed that the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator had separated from the airframe. Additionally, the forward spar of the vertical stabilizer was found to be fractured, although the rear spar remained intact. The pilot reported that there were no airframe or engine malfunctions prior to the cable strike.