What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was engaged in aerial application operations over a field. During this phase of flight, the airframe struck a piece of farm equipment that was parked within the work area. The impact resulted in the separation of the right main landing gear assembly.
Despite the mechanical failure, the pilot continued the mission to finish applying the chemical load. Once the application was complete, the pilot navigated the aircraft back to the original landing strip where operations had commenced. During the subsequent landing roll, the exposed right side of the airframe contacted the ground, resulting in further damage to the structure.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage confirmed that the right main landing gear had separated from the airframe during the initial collision with the stationary object. Additional damage was sustained to the right side of the aircraft upon touchdown at the home base due to the missing gear support.