What happened
The aerial application aircraft was performing its first flight following the completion of maintenance. Less than one mile from the takeoff point, the engine lost power, necessitating an emergency procedure. The pilot executed a forced landing into a flat, soft wheat field.
During the landing sequence, the pilot reported that there was insufficient airspeed to fully arrest the descent when attempting to flare. This resulted in a hard, bouncing landing that caused structural damage to the airplane. Additionally, it was noted during the investigation that the pilot did not jettison the hopper load, which is a required step in the emergency landing procedures for this aircraft type.
The pilot was not injured in the accident.