What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/26/2022 at 0720 an aircraft performing aerial spraying of herbicide at lake apopka, Florida, contacted the lake nose down, causing the aircraft to flip over which caused the tailboom to separate from the fuselage resulting in substantial damage and accident. The pilot was able to get out of the submerged aircraft through the right side door that was removed with minor injuries. The pilot was flying about 15-20 feet above the lake at 45 knots at the time of the accident. The aircraft had 25 gallons of fuel on board. The aircraft was operating normal with no maintenance discrepancies at the time of the accident. The pilot stated lake apopka was extremely calm creating a glass and mirror effect on the lake. The pilot was making the first pass of the day to spray the herbicide. The pilot got on the spray route heading east directly into the sun. The sun reflected off the lake and there was direct sunlight in the pilots face at the time of the accident. The pilot looked down at the instrument panel to verify the pressures of the spray equipment and lost control of the aircraft which then hit the lake nose down causing the aircraft to flip over and submerge in the lake leading to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/26/2022 AT 0720 AN AIRCRAFT PERFORMING AERIAL SPRAYING OF HERBICIDE AT LAKE APOPKA, FLORIDA, CONTACTED THE LAKE NOSE DOWN, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER WHICH CAUSED THE TAILBOOM TO SEPARATE FROM THE FUSELAGE RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE SUBMERGED AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR THAT WAS REMOVED WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOT WAS FLYING ABOUT 15-20 FEET ABOVE THE LAKE AT 45 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD 25 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING NORMAL WITH NO MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED LAKE APOPKA WAS EXTREMELY CALM CREATING A GLASS AND MIRROR EFFECT ON THE LAKE. THE PILOT WAS MAKING THE FIRST PASS OF THE DAY TO SPRAY THE HERBICIDE. THE PILOT GOT ON THE SPRAY ROUTE HEADING EAST DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN. THE SUN REFLECTED OFF THE LAKE AND THERE WAS DIRECT SUNLIGHT IN THE PILOTS FACE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT LOOKED DOWN AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO VERIFY THE PRESSURES OF THE SPRAY EQUIPMENT AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH THEN HIT THE LAKE NOSE DOWN CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER AND SUBMERGE IN THE LAKE LEADING TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.