Air Tractor AT301 accident near Ascension, Chihuahua, Mx, July 25, 2018
On July 25, 2018 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT301, registered XBOVB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Ascension, Chihuahua. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2018 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ascension, Chihuahua, Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT301
- Registration
- XBOVB · no longer on the register · serial 301-0235
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 25, 2018, about 1600 coordinated universal time, a Mexican registered Air Tractor AT 301 airplane, XB-OVB, impacted terrain near Ascension, Chihuahua, Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed Ascension, Mexico, on an aerial application flight. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of Mexico. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the government of Mexico. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC), Direccion de Investigacion de Accidentes E Incidentes de Aviacion Boulevard Adolfo Lopez Mateos, #1990, piso 4, Col Los Alpes, Tlacopac Deligacion Alvaro Orbegon, C. P. 01010, Ciudad de Mexico Telephone: (55) 5011-6413 E-mail: cidaiac@sct.gob.mx
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
Pilot
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.