Anyone know any details

NTSB Identification: CHI06LA205
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Thursday, August 03, 2006 in Washburn, ND
Aircraft: Piper PA-25-235, registration: N4693Y
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 3, 2006, at 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N4693Y, collided with a high voltage power line and the terrain during an aerial application flight approximately 9 miles northeast of Washburn, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 flight was being operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Washburn, North Dakota.

WASHBURN, N.D. (AP) - A man killed when a crop-spraying plane crashed near Underwood was a long-time pilot and manager of the Washburn airport.

Authorities say 65-year-old William Beeks of Washburn was spraying insecticide on a field and was trying to make a turn when the plane's right wing tip struck a power line.

The Highway Patrol says part of the right wing was sheared off, and the plane hit the ground upside down in a bean field about five miles southeast of Underwood.

Patrol Sergeant Kyle Kirchmeier (KURCH'-my-er) says Beeks had 50 years of flying experience. His father, Clifford Beeks, owned Central Flying Services in Washburn and was inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame.

William Beeks' wife, Mary Ann, says her husband earned his pilot's license when he was 16 years old and enjoyed flying.

State Aeronautics Commissioner Gary Ness says Beeks was a friend and his death is a shock.

Bill Beeks was a good friend to all of us area pilots. With his 50 years of flying time he was a good teacher, CFI, mentor and mechanic. This was his life. He was also a pillar in the Washburn community and there is a big hole left here right now.

I still can't believe he is gone. Maybe after the funeral, Tuesday at 10:30am.

As usual there are a lot of rumors, I will try to state only facts.

Bill had been spraying sunflowers for bugs for several days, flys over our farm going from A to B. That morning he had been spraying for my good friend who's fields are full of transmission lines, several. Not distribution lines but the big transmission lines. People watching had seen him mostly flying under the wires.

He finished by their yard in the am and moved to a couple quarters 6 miles SE of Underwood, 9 miles NW of Washburn. The Washburn Airport is a few miles north of Washburn, so he was close to home.

A couple miles west there is a coal fired power plant and a lot of transmission lines. He was on his first or second pass on the field when he turned and a power line took a couple feet off the end of one wing, I believe the right wing. The plane flew over an 80 acre combined wheat field before crashing upside down in a pinto bean field.

One accident report stated the plane went into a spin before contacting the ground, and some people say he actually tried to control the plane before it hit. I don't think any one actually saw it happen. The plane did fly between 1/4 and 1/2 mile before crashing.

Bill's wife was loading the plane for him that day and knew right away that something was wrong. The crash was only a few miles NW of the Washburn airport.

Our farm is about a 4 minute flight from the Washburn airport. I bought fuel from Bill, 5 minutes to fuel up, 90 minutes of BS. Usually took a couple hours to get fuel.

Several communities are in shock and I can't believe he is gone.

I will try to post some pictures.

Bill Kuehn

Dang I hate hearing this stuff. My condolinces to the family.
I also heard of a couple of other spayers crashing within the last week. One I had met but didn't know him but seems like a real nice guy. He had an engine failure here near Park Rapids, Mn. Not hurt bad though. Just a couple of broken ribs from what I heard but the plane was destroyed.

I was working for Bill when this happened. I had taken the day off to play in a golf tournament with my brother and Our pastor Jack. Pretty sickening feeling when I got the call that day and even worse driving up to the crash site later on. One positive thing about this is his wife was with him that day and not me. My thoughts on the crash (hot and bumpy) but who knows.
RIP Bill