What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 15, 2015, the pilot returned with his second load to continue spraying. He reports everything was the same as when spraying the first load while low in the valley. He reports there was a thunderstorm in the distance, but believed it wasn?t close enough to affect his flying. When making a turn for another pass, he flew up over the ridge line and was hit with unexpected tail wind from the direction of the thunderstorm. The aircraft stalled at a low altitude insufficient to recover, resulting in an accident that destroyed the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 15, 2015, THE PILOT RETURNED WITH HIS SECOND LOAD TO CONTINUE SPRAYING. HE REPORTS EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME AS WHEN SPRAYING THE FIRST LOAD WHILE LOW IN THE VALLEY. HE REPORTS THERE WAS A THUNDERSTORM IN THE DISTANCE, BUT BELIEVED IT WASN?T CLOSE ENOUGH TO AFFECT HIS FLYING. WHEN MAKING A TURN FOR ANOTHER PASS, HE FLEW UP OVER THE RIDGE LINE AND WAS HIT WITH UNEXPECTED TAIL WIND FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE THUNDERSTORM. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AT A LOW ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO RECOVER, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT THAT DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.