Incident Overview
A turbine-engine-powered aerial application airplane sustained an uncontained engine failure and subsequent fire when the pilot added power to execute a go-around at his home base airport. The pilot promptly activated the engine emergency fuel shutoff, which successfully extinguished the fire.
Forced Landing and Accident Sequence
After the fire was controlled, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a corn field located beyond a road at the departure end of the runway. During the landing, the tailwheel impacted a drainage ditch situated on the shoulder of the road. The impact caused the airplane to nosed over, and it came to rest in an inverted position.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the engine was conducted. The investigation determined that the loss of engine power was attributed to the failure of the third stage turbine wheel assembly.