What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aerial applicator was finishing his last trim pass in the pasture to the north three miles from his home base. With the fuel boost pump on the pilot pulled up over power lines, turned right (downwind) to head for home base, and the engine quit. The pilot attempted a restart, but the engine quit again. The pilot landed straight ahead downwind in a hilly corn field. The aircraft struck a ditch at the end of the field causing substantial damage to the main gear and fuselage frame at the gear location and engine mount area. At the time the engine quit there was approximately 1/4 fuel in the left tank (30-40 gal) and 1/8 fuel in the right tank (12-15 gal). The pilot was not injured. Weather was not a factor except for the downwind landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AERIAL APPLICATOR WAS FINISHING HIS LAST TRIM PASS IN THE PASTURE TO THE NORTH THREE MILES FROM HIS HOME BASE. WITH THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON THE PILOT PULLED UP OVER POWER LINES, TURNED RIGHT (DOWNWIND) TO HEAD FOR HOME BASE, AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART, BUT THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN. THE PILOT LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD DOWNWIND IN A HILLY CORN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A DITCH AT THE END OF THE FIELD CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN GEAR AND FUSELAGE FRAME AT THE GEAR LOCATION AND ENGINE MOUNT AREA. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE QUIT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK (30-40 GAL) AND 1/8 FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK (12-15 GAL). THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR EXCEPT FOR THE DOWNWIND LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.