What happened
A commercial pilot was conducting a local flight accompanied by his brother, who was not a pilot. This flight marked the first time the two had flown together. A resident living near the crash site observed the aircraft flying a few minutes before the accident and noted nothing unusual, though she had previously seen the pilot practicing cropdusting maneuvers.
Following a loud noise described as a 'boom' that shook the resident's home, the aircraft was located the following day in a small stand of trees. The crash site was surrounded by large, open areas of farmland. There were no eyewitnesses to the actual impact.
The investigation
The examination of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft suffered a steep, nose-low impact with the terrain. Investigators found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure contributing to the accident.