What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While finishing up spraying operations in a field 2 miles east of Emmett KS, the pilot heard a loud bang from the engine, followed by a puff of smoke. Soon thereafter, the engine failed and the propeller siezed.
The pilot, in making for an open field, veered northwest and crossed over county road (A4) at a 45 degree angle. He managed to clear the tree line that followed the road, but needed to correct his heading 45 degrees to the west in order to line up with the field and avoid a tree line that bordered the north edge of the field.
After turning left 45 degrees, the aircraft abruptly lost remaining altitude and struck the ground which was rising (a slight hill). The aircraft appears to have hit left gear first and bounced to the right gear before settling. The propeller, which was frozen at near horizontal position, impacted the ground with the blade on the left side, curling it at the tip.
Directly in the path of the aircraft, approximately 50 yards from initial impact, was a patch of small trees/shrubs/bushes. The aircraft nosed into the ground and flipped over landing in the patch of bushes upside down and facing the direction from which it came.
The pilot was able to evacuate the aircraft and was taken to the hospital for bruising and insecticide/fungicide contamination. He was wearing a helmet and did not appear to have substantial injuries.
Khp trooper reported seeing a puddle of fuel at the site.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE FINISHING UP SPRAYING OPERATIONS IN A FIELD 2 MILES EAST OF EMMETT KS, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE, FOLLOWED BY A PUFF OF SMOKE. SOON THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE PROPELLER SIEZED.
THE PILOT, IN MAKING FOR AN OPEN FIELD, VEERED NORTHWEST AND CROSSED OVER COUNTY ROAD (A4) AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. HE MANAGED TO CLEAR THE TREE LINE THAT FOLLOWED THE ROAD, BUT NEEDED TO CORRECT HIS HEADING 45 DEGREES TO THE WEST IN ORDER TO LINE UP WITH THE FIELD AND AVOID A TREE LINE THAT BORDERED THE NORTH EDGE OF THE FIELD.
AFTER TURNING LEFT 45 DEGREES, THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY LOST REMAINING ALTITUDE AND STRUCK THE GROUND WHICH WAS RISING (A SLIGHT HILL). THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE HIT LEFT GEAR FIRST AND BOUNCED TO THE RIGHT GEAR BEFORE SETTLING. THE PROPELLER, WHICH WAS FROZEN AT NEAR HORIZONTAL POSITION, IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE BLADE ON THE LEFT SIDE, CURLING IT AT THE TIP.
DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT, APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS FROM INITIAL IMPACT, WAS A PATCH OF SMALL TREES/SHRUBS/BUSHES. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED INTO THE GROUND AND FLIPPED OVER LANDING IN THE PATCH OF BUSHES UPSIDE DOWN AND FACING THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH IT CAME.
THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR BRUISING AND INSECTICIDE/FUNGICIDE CONTAMINATION. HE WAS WEARING A HELMET AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES.
KHP TROOPER REPORTED SEEING A PUDDLE OF FUEL AT THE SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.