What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 05/19/2006 At approx. 13:00 N283TA on take off contacted ditch bank at end of runway and damaged left main landing gear and tail wheel was broken off. Pilot was able to gain and maintain altitude after which he elected to lighten the load by dispensing the chemicals. This was an aerial application flight under VMC conditions and no flight plan had been filed. Some period of time later after dispensing the load and evaluating the damage to the aircraft by another pilot the operator opted to land in a freshly cultivated rice field where upon the right main landing gear failed on touch down, the pilot escaped unharmed. An undetermined period of time later the aircraft was engulfed in flames and destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 05/19/2006 AT APPROX. 13:00 N283TA ON TAKE OFF CONTACTED DITCH BANK AT END OF RUNWAY AND DAMAGED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAIL WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF. PILOT WAS ABLE TO GAIN AND MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AFTER WHICH HE ELECTED TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD BY DISPENSING THE CHEMICALS. THIS WAS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER VMC CONDITIONS AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. SOME PERIOD OF TIME LATER AFTER DISPENSING THE LOAD AND EVALUATING THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT BY ANOTHER PILOT THE OPERATOR OPTED TO LAND IN A FRESHLY CULTIVATED RICE FIELD WHERE UPON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED ON TOUCH DOWN, THE PILOT ESCAPED UNHARMED. AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.