Accident Overview
An aircraft conducting a sterile Bullworm moth dispensing mission for the USDA crashed in flat open farmland. The accident occurred between two planned dispensing points under visual flight rules (VFR) conditions with moderate temperatures and mild winds.
Flight Details
The flight was required to maintain an altitude of 500 feet above ground level (AGL) and a speed of 110 knots. Ground witnesses observed the aircraft in a nose-down attitude spinning through 500 feet AGL. After completing two turns, the aircraft stopped spinning but continued descending in a nose-down attitude until ground impact.
Occupant Information
The aircraft carried a pilot and a pilot-rated passenger. The passenger was being evaluated for potential employment. Both individuals held commercial pilot certificates, were current in the aircraft, and had previously flown together on similar missions. Following the crash, both occupants sustained hand and arm injuries consistent with control manipulation at the time of impact. They were found outside the aircraft: the pilot on the right side and the pilot-rated passenger on the left.
Aircraft Examination
Post-accident examination revealed that the aircraft was properly loaded and there was no evidence of in-flight mechanical, electrical, or structural failures or malfunctions.