N1519UAir Tractor AT-502 · 1991

The pilot reported he was conducting an aerial application flight and was spraying his third field of the day when while maneuvering to make his next pass under high-tension powerlines he heard a “pop” and the airplane pitched up and started to “fishtail”. The pilot pitched the airplane down to regain control and attempted to maneuver to an open field to land the airplane. The airplane rolled and it felt as if the right wing stalled. The airplane then struck the wires next to the road and cartwheeled into the yard on the opposite side of the street. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, both wings, the aft fuselage, and empennage. There were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

After arriving at the steep hillside field to which he was going to apply chemicals, the pilot maneuvered at low level over the field in an attempt to determine the best pattern to fly to accomplish the job. During that process he inadvertently allowed himself to get in a position from which the airplane was not able to climb over the rising terrain. Although he dumped his chemical load and leveled the airplane's wings, the airplane impacted the terrain about 75 feet below the top of a ridge.