Accident Overview
The aircraft departed from a haul road that was being used as an airstrip. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the pilot noted a loss of power (thrust) as the engine began to overspeed at approximately 100 feet above ground level. The pilot responded by lowering the nose to gain airspeed and dumping the load, but was unable to maintain altitude. At about the same time, the aircraft had flown out over a slurry pond.
Emergency Landing
Subsequently, during an emergency landing, the aircraft touched down on soft, sandy terrain and nosed over.
Examination Findings
An examination of the propeller revealed that both actuating links had failed. Wear was noted on the outer semicircular sections of one link, while the absence of wear was noted on the other link. The propeller had been in service for 384 hours since its last overhaul.