What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 17, 2024, the accident aircraft departed a private strip maintained by the aircraft operator for the purposes of a 14 CFR 137 flight. While the aircraft was conducting aerial application, the PIC noted an intense surge of power and decided to abandon his applicating maneuvers and return to base. The pilot was unable to control the power during his return to base. Aproximately 2NM from the private strip, the aircraft lost power and the PIC elected to jettison his load of product ahead of a forced landing. The pilot landed the aircraft on a road, aproximately 1NM east of the departure end of the runway on the downwind leg. The pilot touched down with one main wheel on the dirt portion of the road with the right MLG in a grassy ditch. The aircraft slid into the ditch, where the aircraft experienced a partial ground loop where the left MLG collapsed and the tail wheel was torn from the aircraft.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 17, 2024, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED A PRIVATE STRIP MAINTAINED BY THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR FOR THE PURPOSES OF A 14 CFR 137 FLIGHT. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION, THE PIC NOTED AN INTENSE SURGE OF POWER AND DECIDED TO ABANDON HIS APPLICATING MANEUVERS AND RETURN TO BASE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE POWER DURING HIS RETURN TO BASE. APROXIMATELY 2NM FROM THE PRIVATE STRIP, THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND THE PIC ELECTED TO JETTISON HIS LOAD OF PRODUCT AHEAD OF A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON A ROAD, APROXIMATELY 1NM EAST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN WITH ONE MAIN WHEEL ON THE DIRT PORTION OF THE ROAD WITH THE RIGHT MLG IN A GRASSY DITCH. THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO THE DITCH, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL GROUND LOOP WHERE THE LEFT MLG COLLAPSED AND THE TAIL WHEEL WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.