Abstract: On June 19, 2004, Employee #1, a farm equipment technician, was preparing the cutter deck flex-wing (that weighed 800 to 1,000 pounds) of a new John Deere rotary cutter. He was freeing the travel pin (which keeps the wing upright in a vertical position) by standing under the wing and shaking the top. The pin dislodged and released the wing, which fell and struck Employee #1, pinning him between the wing and the ground. He sustained head and neck injuries and was killed. Interviews and Maryland State Police reports indicated that the cutter's two hydraulic lines were disconnected or installed incorrectly. One of the two cutter hydraulic lines controlled the hydraulic cylinders which raised and lowered the two flex-wings. Employer/employee interviews revealed that Employee #1 was not equipped with jack stands or support stands capable of supporting the wings. The investigation revealed that stands are available and recommended by John Deere to support the wings in case of hydraulic failure. The investigation also revealed that the tractors operator manual, which offered proper instructions for connecting hydraulic lines to the tractor, was not available to Employee #1.