What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was just pulling up from a pass, spraying malithion on a cotton field, when he noticed heat and saw fire from the engine. As he lowered the nose, the engine quit. He continued to turn into the wind, pulled the flaps on and landed hard in a cornfield southwest of the cotton field. The vertical impact component of the crash broke the left support leg of the pilot seat, partially pulled the engine off the mounts, tore off the main landing gear, bent the tail boom, buckled the fuselage breaking the hopper loose, and damaged both wing spars. The pilot had bruising on his shoulders from the shoulder harness and a sore neck from the weight of the helmet. The pilot reported that the flames continued during the descent and landing, but then went out before the dry corn stalks caught fire. The propellor was wind milling and caused a large amount of drag.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS JUST PULLING UP FROM A PASS, SPRAYING MALITHION ON A COTTON FIELD, WHEN HE NOTICED HEAT AND SAW FIRE FROM THE ENGINE. AS HE LOWERED THE NOSE, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE CONTINUED TO TURN INTO THE WIND, PULLED THE FLAPS ON AND LANDED HARD IN A CORNFIELD SOUTHWEST OF THE COTTON FIELD. THE VERTICAL IMPACT COMPONENT OF THE CRASH BROKE THE LEFT SUPPORT LEG OF THE PILOT SEAT, PARTIALLY PULLED THE ENGINE OFF THE MOUNTS, TORE OFF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, BENT THE TAIL BOOM, BUCKLED THE FUSELAGE BREAKING THE HOPPER LOOSE, AND DAMAGED BOTH WING SPARS. THE PILOT HAD BRUISING ON HIS SHOULDERS FROM THE SHOULDER HARNESS AND A SORE NECK FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE HELMET. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLAMES CONTINUED DURING THE DESCENT AND LANDING, BUT THEN WENT OUT BEFORE THE DRY CORN STALKS CAUGHT FIRE. THE PROPELLOR WAS WIND MILLING AND CAUSED A LARGE AMOUNT OF DRAG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.