Accident Details
At 0950, an agricultural aircraft departed to spray chemicals on a 10-hectare potato crop, with an expected flight duration of approximately 25 minutes. When the aircraft had not returned to the airstrip by 1020, the loader driver attempted to contact the pilot using a portable VHF transceiver but received no response. The aircraft was subsequently found crashed in a level, stony paddock.
Physical evidence indicated that ground impact occurred while the aircraft was in a descending left turn with a nose-down attitude. The angle of bank was between 20 and 30 degrees. The outer panel of the left wing sustained tip damage and separated from the airframe, coming to rest about 20 meters away. After initial impact, the aircraft cartwheeled and broke apart. There was no fire. The accident was not survivable.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the pilot had nearly completed the task at that location and was likely performing a reversal turn to execute a cleaning-up run along one of the boundaries when the crash occurred. No evidence of structural or mechanical failure was found. There was no indication of collision with any obstacle or bird strike. The aircraft's all-up weight and center of gravity were within permitted limits.
Witnesses reported that the engine was running normally up to the moment of the crash. Sky conditions were partly cloudy with normal horizontal visibility. Drizzle had occurred earlier in the day, but no precipitation was present at the time of the crash. Surface wind was light and variable. Weather was not considered a factor.
An autopsy of the 47-year-old pilot revealed slight arterial narrowing, but not sufficient to cause sudden incapacitation. Tests for chemical poisoning were negative.
Probable Cause
The crash investigator concluded that no probable cause for the accident could be established.