History of Flight
The pilot departed with a load of urea and proceeded to the job site. Upon arrival, he circled the area for approximately 15 minutes, waiting for the flagmen to arrive. When the flagmen did not appear, the pilot elected to return to the airport.
Loss of Power
As the pilot initiated the return and leveled the aircraft, he experienced a gradual loss of engine power. Consequently, he was unable to maintain altitude and began a forced landing.
Forced Landing and Impact
During the forced landing, the pilot turned the aircraft to avoid a tree. While executing the turn, the aircraft stalled and subsequently impacted the ground.
Investigation
The operator expressed the belief that the engine lost power due to a blower failure. However, this belief was not confirmed through an engine teardown examination.