What happened
On August 10, 2009, an Air Tractor AT-301, registration N5018S, was performing aerial application maneuvers near DeWitt, Illinois. The pilot completed the first application run without incident. However, during the second run, the aircraft experienced a loss of lift while executing a turn.
In an attempt to clear nearby trees, the pilot applied full power. During the maneuver, the left wing of the aircraft struck the top of a tree, leading to a subsequent impact with the terrain. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained one minor injury and there were 0 fatalities.
The investigation
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft during the flight. Weather conditions at the time were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 250 degrees at 5 knots.