What happened
During a local topdressing operation, a single-engine aircraft departed from a farm-strip at 1325LT. The flight was carrying a payload of 712 kg of lime. Approximately fifteen minutes after takeoff, while operating at a low altitude within a cul-de-sac, the pilot experienced difficulty maintaining sufficient altitude.
While attempting to maneuver the aircraft, it struck a tree and subsequently crashed. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire that completely destroyed the aircraft type. The aircraft ended up resting in an inverted position. There was one fatality involving the pilot.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that no engine or structural failures had occurred prior to the crash. However, the aircraft's climb performance was significantly reduced due to a combination of changing wind conditions and the inadvertent overloading of the hopper.
A critical factor in the accident was that the lime payload failed to discharge when the pilot activated the jettison mechanism. This failure was attributed to the lime content compounding within the hopper, which prevented the necessary weight reduction required for the aircraft to safely clear the terrain.