Incident Summary
An aerial application aircraft, engaged in spraying operations, experienced a sudden engine failure while maneuvering over a lake. The pilot executed an emergency landing on the water, after which the aircraft nosed over and sank.
Narrative
The aircraft had completed one pass over a field and was making a climbing turn in preparation for a second swath run. During this climbing turn, while over a lake adjacent to the area being sprayed, the engine quit with a loud bang. The pilot reported that he turned the aircraft toward the shore and rapidly decelerated. To prevent the aircraft from stalling, he pitched the nose down. The airplane descended in a steep nose-down attitude until reaching an altitude at which the pilot could flare for landing. After touching down on the water, the aircraft nosed over and sank.
Investigation Findings
An on-scene investigation revealed that the turboprop engine's combustion chamber had ruptured. Additionally, the aircraft was not equipped with a negative torque sensing system, which would have allowed the propeller to feather automatically upon engine failure. Furthermore, the aircraft lacked a manual propeller feathering system. These systems are designed to reduce drag and improve glide performance in the event of an engine failure, but their absence did not prevent the pilot from successfully ditching the aircraft.
Conclusion
The information presented is based solely on the factual findings of the investigation. No analysis of causal factors or contributing elements has been included.