What happened
The aircraft collided with the ground while executing a turn-around maneuver. Prior to departure, 120 gallons of Benlate, a non-toxic liquid herbicide, had been loaded aboard N9270R. The fuel tanks were reportedly full at the time of takeoff, with a total capacity of 54 gallons. The flight was conducted without ground personnel assistance.
The aircraft was observed in the vicinity of the accident area after it arrived on the scene, but no witnesses reported seeing the crash or the final swath run. The wreckage path and its position relative to the field were consistent with a crash following a turn-around maneuver after the pilot completed a west-to-east run.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the hopper dump valve was found in the closed position after the accident. Investigators found no mechanical or physical discrepancies that were considered contributory to the accident. All damages noted to the airframe were determined to be impact-related.
The cage surrounding the pilot's cockpit remained intact, revealing no impact damage. The pilot's seatbelt and shoulder harness hardware was also intact. However, the fabric belts were consumed by fire.