The Eyreial Ag Services plane he was flying crashed and twisted in half after hitting a barely visible SWER line powerline during fertiliser spreading at Cockaleechie.

“I thought it was my last days,” he said.

“It’s surprising I did survive.

“After the impact and ending up upside down, I couldn’t believe I was alive.

“I’m lucky the machine was designed to take the impact and crumple around the cockpit.

“That terrible screeching and tearing sound is something I’ll never forget.”

Eyreial Ag Services operator, Tony’s father Kevin Warren said the family was grateful Tony was not hurt in the incident.

“We’re just grateful our son’s alive,” Mr Warren said.

He said SWER lines were notoriously difficult for pilots to see.

“They’re very much a life threatening hazard for us.

“Around town you’ve got powerlines with three wires and poles making them visible, but SWER lines are spaced out over very long distances with poles that are hard to find.

“Consequently if a pilot happens to forget about it, it becomes a life threatening problem.”

He said the plane had not been classified as a write off by the insurance company, but it was expected it would be.

“One of the reasons we chose these planes is because they’ve got a very strong cockpit structure.

“Everything else might be ripped and torn except the cockpit, so Tony was able to get himself out of it.

Mr Warren said he wasn’t sure if they would be replacing the plane.

“The last couple of years have really slowed everything up; things have been a bit dry and financially constrained, so we don’t’ know what we’ll be doing at this time.”

Mr Warren said this followed another accident the week before, when a mechanical failure downed a plane.

The pilot managed to get the plane safely to ground but some damage was caused and repairs are underway.