Incident Details
During the initial climb after takeoff, the aircraft reached an altitude estimated by the pilot of 60 feet above ground level (AGL) before settling back to ground contact. The pilot stated that he recognized the aircraft was settling toward the ground and noticed a dissipation of airspeed. He then elected to hold the load as long as possible before dumping it, releasing the load at an altitude approximately 20 feet above the point where he knew he would impact the ground.
Environmental Conditions
The density altitude at the time of the incident was computed by the Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) to be 4,700 feet. The airport elevation is reported as 3,800 feet.
Pilot Comments
In the section of the pilot's report reserved for recommendations for prevention of this accident type, the pilot wrote: 'I believe that I got into a situation known as region of reverse command.' The definition of this phenomenon describes an aerodynamic situation in which the total drag of the aircraft increases as the airspeed decreases. This drag increases to a point where insufficient power is available to maintain altitude.
Aircraft Load
The pilot reported that the aircraft load consisted of 200 gallons of 2,4-D and Roundup herbicides, in addition to 55 gallons of aviation fuel on board.