What happened
During the landing phase on a narrow gravel airstrip, the right spray boom of a turbine-powered agricultural airplane became entangled with tall wheat. The aircraft, operated by a commercial pilot with 2,236 total flight hours and 128 hours in this specific make and model, subsequently lost control, resulting in a ground loop.
The incident occurred near the left edge of the airstrip, where the wheat was displaced approximately four feet from the edge; notably, more wheat was growing adjacent to the right edge of the runway. The pilot had previously reported observing wheat entangled in the right spray boom following two landings at this same airstrip earlier on the day of the accident.
The aircraft came to rest in an upright position. There were no injuries to the pilot, who was able to exit the aircraft without assistance. The aft section of the fuselage sustained structural damage.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft's right wheel at the accident site determined that the wheel was free to rotate and that the right brake was not dragging. Wind velocity at the time of the event was reported between 1 and 3 knots.