What happened
During an agricultural application mission, the pilot was executing a flight pattern over a field. Having completed one pass, the pilot began a turn to return for another application. During this maneuver, the aircraft was approximately 150 feet above ground level in a 45-degree banked turn.
While attempting to roll out of the turn, the pilot encountered a thermal. The aircraft was roughly 40 feet above and 250 feet in front of a tree line when the encounter occurred. In an attempt to maintain altitude, the pilot applied full power and lowered the nose, but was unable to recover from the sinking effect caused by the thermal.
The aircraft subsequently impacted trees and terrain. Following the loss of lift and with more trees obstructing the path, the pilot elected to land the aircraft in a nearby cornfield. The pilot was not injured during the event.
Findings
Prior to the accident, the pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions associated with the aircraft.