What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot arrived at the field, in which aerial application was scheduled to occur, located 2.3 miles northeast of Hartington municipal airport at an elevation of 1342 feet mean sea level. The pilot had made a low reconnaissance flight around the field, prior to making his first pass, to identify flight hazards. Once set up on the first run in the field from north to south, the pilot overflew power lines and descended to an application altitude. From the interview, the pilot had stated that he did not notice the rise in elevation of the terrain. The pilot descended the landing gear of the airplane into the bean crop causing a controlled flight into terrain.
The airplane entered at a low angle, low velocity. The airplane traveled about 320 feet from the initial contact to the resting site. The airplane mainly intact with substantial damage. The propeller was bent aft wards with a twist and chordwise scratching. The left landing gear was detached and found near the right side of the fuselage. The left wing and empennage suffered compression damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE FIELD, IN WHICH AERIAL APPLICATION WAS SCHEDULED TO OCCUR, LOCATED 2.3 MILES NORTHEAST OF HARTINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT AN ELEVATION OF 1342 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE PILOT HAD MADE A LOW RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHT AROUND THE FIELD, PRIOR TO MAKING HIS FIRST PASS, TO IDENTIFY FLIGHT HAZARDS. ONCE SET UP ON THE FIRST RUN IN THE FIELD FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, THE PILOT OVERFLEW POWER LINES AND DESCENDED TO AN APPLICATION ALTITUDE. FROM THE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT HAD STATED THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE THE RISE IN ELEVATION OF THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT DESCENDED THE LANDING GEAR OF THE AIRPLANE INTO THE BEAN CROP CAUSING A CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN.
THE AIRPLANE ENTERED AT A LOW ANGLE, LOW VELOCITY. THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED ABOUT 320 FEET FROM THE INITIAL CONTACT TO THE RESTING SITE. THE AIRPLANE MAINLY INTACT WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AFT WARDS WITH A TWIST AND CHORDWISE SCRATCHING. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS DETACHED AND FOUND NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING AND EMPENNAGE SUFFERED COMPRESSION DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.