Incident Overview
The pilot of a 150-horsepower Piper PA-18 returned to an aerial application site after refueling and loading chemicals. During the stop, the pilot expressed concern about the aircraft's limited performance at the current temperature (75–80 degrees Fahrenheit) and altitude (about 3,000 feet MSL). He took on a reduced fuel load and planned to finish the field with two half-loads of chemical rather than one full load. Although witnesses observed him partially filling the fuel tanks, no one saw whether the chemical hopper was completely filled or only partially loaded.
Witness Observations
After returning to the field, witnesses saw the aircraft make a pass in one direction but did not see it return in the other direction. Shortly thereafter, a column of black smoke was seen rising from the field. When witnesses arrived at the site, they found the aircraft where it had stalled or mushed into rapidly rising terrain at a location where the pilot would be making a course reversal just off the end of the field.
Findings
The aircraft was found at the location of the course reversal, having impacted rising terrain. The pilot's earlier concerns about performance limitations and the reduced loads were noted, but no further details about the cause of the accident were provided in the source material.