Agricultural Aerial Topdressing Accident: Loss of Control and Spiral Dive (ZK-BHW)

Accident Overview and Pilot Background On October 10, a pilot made his first topdressing sortie, marking the beginning of his agricultural flying experience. In the twenty-two days following his initial flight, he accumulated fifty hours of topdressing time. At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged 68 hours specifically in the FU24 aircraft and a total of 281 hours of dual and solo flying time. The incident occurred during a routine aerial topdressing operation under ideal weather conditions, described as CAVU and calm. ## Witness Accounts and Sequence of Events A loader driver observed the aircraft conducting a normal sowing run before it began climbing to 150 feet and entering a medium turn to the right. The pilot appeared to be positioning the aircraft for a reciprocal heading run. As the turn progressed through 90 degrees, the nose began to drop while both the angle of bank and rate of turn increased. This unusual attitude, occurring very close to the ground, prompted the loader driver to leave his cab and run toward the aircraft as it disappeared behind a hill. A second witness provided a complete account of the sequence, stating that the aircraft completed two full rotations during its spiral dive before it crashed and exploded in flames. ## Investigation Findings and Cause The investigation determined that the engine was producing power right up until impact. No evidence of structural failure in flight was found. The official probable cause concluded that inexperience was the basic cause factor in the accident. The pilot's misuse of control during the execution of a diving turn induced an incipient spin, which culminated in a spiral dive without adequate height available for a recovery.