What happened
The aircraft departed an airport under conditions that included high ambient temperatures, with the outside air temperature recorded at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The airplane was carrying a significant payload of fertilizer and was fueled nearly to capacity. Shortly after leaving the ground, the pilot initiated a turn while the aircraft was still at a low altitude.
The excessive weight and fuel load likely compromised the aircraft's climb performance. As the airplane began to settle due to insufficient lift, the pilot attempted to offload the cargo by dumping the fertilizer. During this maneuver, the airframe struck trees before impacting the ground. The crash resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
Post-accident examination confirmed that the aircraft was loaded with fertilizer and had nearly full fuel tanks at the time of departure. The pilot provided a statement regarding the sequence of events, noting that the decision to turn early contributed to the loss of altitude. The structural integrity of the airframe was compromised by the impact with the trees during the attempted weight reduction.
Findings
Contributing factors included the heavy loading of the aircraft and the high temperature, which degraded climb performance. The pilot acknowledged that a higher altitude should have been attained before beginning the turn. The attempt to dump the load while at low altitude proved unsuccessful in preventing the collision with terrain obstacles.