What happened
The pilot reported that earlier in the morning, he had successfully flown approximately ten to fifteen loads off a 2,542-foot dirt airstrip without incident. During the final flight of the day, upon becoming airborne and reaching an altitude of approximately 300 feet, the front wheels of the airplane struck rice plants growing across a gravel road located due north of the airstrip.
This contact with the vegetation caused an immediate loss of airspeed. The aircraft subsequently struck a levee in the adjacent rice field, resulting in a nosedown impact that caused the plane to come to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The pilot's report indicated that the airstrip was operational and had been used successfully earlier in the day. The critical factor identified was the interaction between the aircraft's landing gear and the rice plants situated on the gravel road parallel to the runway. The contact with the crops directly led to the aerodynamic stall and subsequent ground impact.
Findings
The sequence of events began with a normal takeoff from the dirt strip. The loss of control was initiated by the front wheels striking the rice field vegetation, which disrupted airflow and reduced airspeed below safe levels for the current configuration. The aircraft's inability to maintain altitude or forward momentum resulted in the collision with the levee and the final inverted rest position.