Summary
Early in the day the pilot flew the aircraft from Mudgee to the airstrip situated about 4 mile south of the
property on which superphosphate was to be spread. The weather was fine, the wind was calm and visibility
was unrestricted. Although the pilot did not carry out a ground or aerial inspection of the property prior to
commencing operations, nor did he obtain a specific briefing regarding the location of power lines on the
property, he had carried out similar operations on this property periodically during the previous five years. As the aircraft approached the power line it banked to the right, apparently to follow the change in boundary
direction and the raised left wing tip struck the cables resulting in a portion of the wing leading edge and
upper surface fabric being detached. The aircraft slewed and rolled to the left and struck the ground In an
inverted attitude 460 feet beyond the power line where it came to rest against a post and wire fence. A fierce
fire occurred immediately.
