Flight History
The pilot had completed three uneventful aerial application flights before removing the biplane's cockpit side windows. The fourth flight began without incident, but during the first pass, the pilot noticed the plane did not perform as it had previously.
Accident Sequence
While turning the airplane to begin the second pass, the aircraft settled into the trees bordering the field being sprayed. While in the trees, the pilot advanced the propeller and throttle controls and made an unsuccessful attempt to dump his load of herbicide. Upon reaching the edge of the trees, the pilot nosed the aircraft over to land in a small field before hitting a wire across the road. As he flared to land, the airplane impacted the road embankment. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, came to a stop in the inverted position, and began to burn.
Postcrash Fire
The postcrash fire consumed the fuselage, empennage, and the upper and lower right wings.