What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Statement from pilot - I went out to practice spraying a field with water in nxxxxx. I did two laps around the field, then came around to purge the booms across the middle of the field. I pushed the spray lever forward when my knuckles hit the dump lever and the gate popped open. I shut the gate, resumed purging the booms and came up out of the field stalling the airplane. At the time, I didn’t recognize it as a stall and thought the gate had come open again and it was making the airplane porpoise. I tried pulling the dump lever to get it to stop and then added full power. I continued to sink and fight the stall. I was getting extremely low and decided my only option was getting the airplane on the ground. I impacted the ground very hard tearing the landing gear off aloong with various other parts. I was able to keep the airplane straight until it caught something on the ground and whipped the airplane around 180 degrees where it came to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
STATEMENT FROM PILOT - I WENT OUT TO PRACTICE SPRAYING A FIELD WITH WATER IN NXXXXX. I DID TWO LAPS AROUND THE FIELD, THEN CAME AROUND TO PURGE THE BOOMS ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. I PUSHED THE SPRAY LEVER FORWARD WHEN MY KNUCKLES HIT THE DUMP LEVER AND THE GATE POPPED OPEN. I SHUT THE GATE, RESUMED PURGING THE BOOMS AND CAME UP OUT OF THE FIELD STALLING THE AIRPLANE. AT THE TIME, I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT AS A STALL AND THOUGHT THE GATE HAD COME OPEN AGAIN AND IT WAS MAKING THE AIRPLANE PORPOISE. I TRIED PULLING THE DUMP LEVER TO GET IT TO STOP AND THEN ADDED FULL POWER. I CONTINUED TO SINK AND FIGHT THE STALL. I WAS GETTING EXTREMELY LOW AND DECIDED MY ONLY OPTION WAS GETTING THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. I IMPACTED THE GROUND VERY HARD TEARING THE LANDING GEAR OFF ALOONG WITH VARIOUS OTHER PARTS. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHT UNTIL IT CAUGHT SOMETHING ON THE GROUND AND WHIPPED THE AIRPLANE AROUND 180 DEGREES WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6174A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.