CHI97LA259

In his written statement, the pilot said that while en route to the fields to be sprayed, he was distracted by problems with the on board 'global positioning flagger' equipment. 'I called the base to get assistance on getting the light bar to work. After circling the field several times, I discovered that I had inadvertently turned the light bar off and I switched it back on.' The pilot circled around to re-enter the field on which he made his first aerial application pass. He reported that upon completing his second pass he observed another ag-plane entering the area. The pilot reported that because of the distraction, and the downwind turn, he was '...wide off my mark.' The pilot maneuvered the airplane to line up on the field. 'As I entered the field, I realized that I was having a problem with lift. But before I was able to increase throttle or dump the load, the plane was starting to sink in the corn.' The airplane then impacted into the field and came to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

On August 16, 1997, at 0945 central daylight time (cdt), a Piper PA-25-235, N8622L, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when while maneuvering for aerial application of chemicals, the airplane's main landing gear became entangled in the top of a standing corn crop. The airplane subsequently impacted the terrain 3 miles southwest of Bradshaw, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 137. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated at Sutton, Nebraska, at 0915 cdt.

In his written statement, the pilot said that while en route to the fields to be sprayed, he was distracted by problems with the on board "global positioning flagger" equipment. "I called the base to get assistance on getting the light bar to work. After circling the field several times, I discovered that I had inadvertently turned the light bar off and I switched it back on." The pilot circled around to re-enter the field on which he made his first aerial application pass. As I finished my second pass, I observed another ag-plane entering the area and using his smoker to check wind direction. I think because of the distraction, and the downwind turn, I found that I was wide off my mark." The pilot maneuvered the airplane to line up on the field. "As I entered the field, I realized that I was having a problem with lift. But before I was able to increase throttle or dump the load, the plane was starting to sink in the corn." The airplane then impacted into the field and came to a stop.

The airplane was examined at the site by an airframe and powerplant mechanic. The airplane was resting upright in a cornfield at a 25-degree nose down attitude. The forward fuselage was crushed upward. The cowling was bent outward and down. The engine, engine mounts and firewall were bent up and aft. The propeller exhibited torsional bending and chordwise scratches. The engine crankshaft was broken. The airplane's cabin remained intact. The right side window was broken out. Both wings showed heavy dents, bends and fractures along the leading edges. The fabric on the upper surfaces of both wings showed tears running from the leading edges aft. The aft fuselage, empennage and tail wheel showed no damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the engine, engine controls and other airplane systems showed no pre-impact anomalies.