Accident Details
According to the pilot, the aerial application flight was one of several conducted that day under the same aircraft weight, ambient temperature, and wind speed conditions. However, due to variable winds, the pilot chose to take off in a different direction than previous flights. At approximately 30 feet above ground level, after clearing the tree line, the pilot felt the airplane begin to sink and was unable to maintain altitude. He stated, "I believe there was a very small wind shear or wind shift just above the tree line and I had not yet achieved enough forward airspeed to overcome the loss in lift." The airplane subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest inverted. The accident flight was the first time the pilot had conducted aerial application flight activity.
Aircraft Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine had separated from the airframe and the empennage was bent. No anomalies were noted with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.