Incident Overview
A pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he could not maintain altitude and began jettisoning the payload of 1,500 pounds of chemicals. He turned the aircraft back toward the airstrip but was forced to land short of a bean field. Upon touchdown, the airplane rolled into a small drainage ditch, resulting in the failure of the left main landing gear.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot indicated that he did not believe the engine was producing full power, though no mechanical issues were subsequently confirmed during post-accident examination. The aircraft still contained some chemicals at the time of the accident.
Weight Information
The aircraft was found to be 308 pounds over its maximum gross weight at the time of the accident.