Incident Overview
An agricultural aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in trees after experiencing an engine failure at approximately 200 feet above ground level. The event occurred shortly after departure from an agricultural airstrip.
Sequence of Events
According to the investigation, the engine oil temperature began to rise soon after takeoff. The pilot initiated a turn to return to the airstrip. During the turn, the engine seized, leaving the pilot with no other suitable terrain for landing, resulting in a touchdown in the trees.
Engine Condition
The engine had a known history of high oil consumption that had not been addressed. Post-incident inspection revealed that the engine contained no oil. Investigators suspect oil starvation led to an internal failure. The engine was not made available for a teardown examination.
Conclusions
The investigation did not specify a probable cause. However, the circumstances point to oil starvation as the likely reason for the engine failure.