Incident Overview
A single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane conducting a predator control flight for a government agency experienced an encounter with a mesquite tree thicket, resulting in structural damage to the tail section. The commercial pilot, who held 5,843 hours of flight experience, reported that the flight profile required low-altitude operations.
Sequence of Events
Approximately one hour and fifty minutes into the flight, while maneuvering, the airplane settled into a mesquite tree thicket. The pilot responded by adding full power, which arrested the descent and allowed the airplane to fly out of the thicket. After exiting the area, the pilot located an open pasture about half a mile from the incident site and landed to survey the damage. Upon inspection, the pilot found that structural damage had occurred to the tail section of the airplane.
Pilot Report
The pilot provided details of the event, noting that the low-altitude maneuvering necessary for the mission contributed to the situation. No further information regarding the aircraft type, registration, operator, location, or occupants was disclosed in the report.