Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual outlook during aerial application manuevers.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported he was aware of the power lines bordering the field he was spraying, but momentarily forgot about them while concentrating on the approach and departure procedures to the field. The airplane struck the power lines and subsequently crashed in an open field.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 31, 1993, about 1754 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-400 airplane, N2342Y, sustained substantial damage when it collided with power lines near Elbow Lake, Minnesota, during an aerial application run. The solo commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local 14 CFR Part 137 flight. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He said he was aware of the power lines, but was concerned with working the approach and departure procedures to the small field, and momentarily forgot about the wires until he hit them. -