Accident Summary
A private pilot was engaged in an aerial application flight, spraying crops. According to the pilot's account, while making a right turn at the end of a spray run, he shifted his focus inside the cockpit to check the metering rate of the spray equipment. During this distraction, the pilot stated that he may have inadvertently pushed the control stick forward. When he looked outside again, he observed that the low right wing was about to collide with nearby trees. The pilot attempted to level the aircraft, but the right wing struck the trees. The impact caused the aircraft to cartwheel, coming to rest on a dirt road.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the sequence of events began when he turned his attention to the cockpit instruments to monitor the spray metering rate. This internal focus occurred during a critical phase of the flight—a turn at the end of a spray run—when external vigilance is essential. The pilot speculated that his hand may have unintentionally moved the control stick forward, altering the aircraft's pitch attitude and trajectory. Upon realizing the imminent collision with the trees, the pilot's corrective action to level the wings was insufficient to avoid impact. The aircraft subsequently cartwheeled, indicating a loss of control following the initial tree strike.