Primary finding
Probable cause
A low-level collision and engine ingestion with ducks, which resulted in a total loss of engine power, a forced landing, and a subsequent nose over.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing a low-level aerial application flight, applying liquid chemical to a rural pasture. As the airplane was climbing out of the pasture, a flock of ducks flew in front of the airplane at about 30 ft agl. Several seconds later, the turboprop engine quit producing thrust. The pilot checked the engine gauges to verify the total loss of engine power, he moved the power lever forward, and he performed a forced landing from about 80 ft agl to a grass field straight ahead. An emergency hopper dump was not performed prior to landing. During the landing, the airplane’s main landing gear sunk into the wet ground. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot egressed from a broken window on the left-side of the cockpit, as the right-side cockpit door was jammed from the mud. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount, fuselage, empennage, and the right wing. Prior to the collision and engine ingestion with ducks, the operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination confirmed the duck remains were from a Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), which is classified as a large dabbling duck. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) gender-typing confirmed that both male and female Mallard remains were found in the wreckage.