Cessna 188 accident near Hearne, Texas, August 16, 2014
On August 16, 2014 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 188, registered N878C, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Hearne, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a crop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2014 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hearne, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 C, built 1979 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N878C · no longer on the register · serial T18803488T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was using the agricultural airplane to apply herbicide to a milo crop field. The pilot reported that, as the airplane passed low over the field, the airplane's underside contacted the heads of the milo. The airplane's left wing impacted a wire fence and a metal post, continued across a farm road, and ground-looped. The pilot reported that there were no power-related or mechanical anomalies before impact. During an examination of the airplane and engine, no anomalies were found that would have prevented normal operation. .
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Altitude deviation during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2013
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO 520 T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Burlington TX at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Burlington TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 26, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memo for the Record - N878C - Pilot Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memo for the Record - N878C - Engine Inspection | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.