Accident Sequence
The aircraft departed on its 13th sowing flight of the morning and proceeded to the sowing area, approximately two minutes flying time away. A farmer working about 1.5 km from the accident site observed the aircraft performing its usual pattern: an initial northerly run dispensing the majority of the fertilizer load, followed by a right-hand reversal turn to distribute the remainder. On the last flight, the witness noted that the northerly run started further north than previous runs, and the reversal turn was preceded by a steeper-than-usual climb. The aircraft then descended sharply until it disappeared from view behind intervening terrain, and the witness heard the impact.
Witness Observations
Another witness heard the aircraft pass directly overhead, followed by the cessation of engine noise and then the sound of the crash. This witness and another person reached the crash site within one to two minutes. They found the aircraft upright on its belly but wrecked, with no fire. The pilot was still strapped in his seat and unconscious.
Wreckage and Injuries
Ground evidence revealed that the Fletcher struck a power pole on the boundary of the paddock being sown with its right wing while descending in a right bank. After impact, the aircraft pivoted and hit the ground in a yaw to the right and a nose-down attitude. The pilot sustained serious head and facial injuries, from which he died the following day. A pathologist determined the injuries were fatal.
Probable Cause
The official investigation concluded that the most probable cause of the accident was that the pilot had misjudged his speed and altitude when approaching the top of a reversal turn at the end of a sowing run. There was no evidence of engine or structural failure prior to the impact with the power pole. The cessation of engine noise was attributable to the pilot throttling back when it appeared he was in danger of crashing. Weather conditions were cloudy with almost no breeze, and visibility was normal; weather was not a factor.