Summary of the Incident
A pilot conducting an aerial application flight reported that he became distracted by problems with the onboard 'global positioning flagger' equipment. According to his written statement, he called base for assistance with the light bar, eventually discovering that he had inadvertently switched it off. After turning it back on, he circled the field multiple times and began his first application pass.
Sequence of Events
After completing his second pass, the pilot observed another agricultural aircraft entering the area. He noted that because of the distraction and a downwind turn, he was 'wide off my mark.' Maneuvering the airplane to align with the field, he realized he was having 'a problem with lift.' The pilot stated, 'But before I was able to increase throttle or dump the load, the plane was starting to sink in the corn.' The aircraft subsequently impacted the field and came to a stop.
Post-Accident Examination
A thorough post-accident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have contributed to the loss of control or descent.
Pilot Statement
The pilot's statement emphasized that the distraction from the GPS equipment and the subsequent maneuvering to reposition led to an unexpected loss of lift just as he entered the field. He did not report any injuries, and there is no indication that other persons were involved.