What happened
The pilot reported that during an agricultural aerial application mission, he was maneuvering to initiate a pass. He noted that he began a turn at an airspeed lower than normal for the phase of flight. This low-speed configuration caused the aircraft to enter a stall condition.
Because the maneuver was conducted at a low altitude, the pilot did not have sufficient height to recover from the stall before the aircraft impacted the ground. The incident highlights the critical relationship between airspeed, altitude, and stall recovery margins in agricultural operations.
Findings
The investigation relied on the pilot's statement regarding the sequence of events. Key factors included:
- Initiation of a turn at an airspeed lower than normal
- Entry into a stall condition during the low-altitude maneuver
- Insufficient altitude to complete a recovery before ground impact
The aircraft information manual indicates that stall recovery can result in significant altitude loss, potentially up to 300 feet, which exacerbates the risk when operating near the ground.