What happened
Witnesses observed the aircraft perform a normal climb out immediately after departure. However, as the aircraft cleared the tree line, the pilot began jettisoning the cargo load. Approximately half a mile from the departure end of runway 6, the aircraft appeared to lose lift and descend into the surrounding trees.
The investigation
The pilot stated that the aircraft seemed to mush shortly after clearing the runway threshold. No further mechanical examination details were provided in the source material.
Findings
The wind at Grand Rapids, located 20 miles south of the incident site, was recorded from 170 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot was operating his own aircraft to spray his own orchard.