Piper PA25 accident near Namiquipa, Mx, August 1, 2018
On August 1, 2018 at about 3:56 pm local time, a Piper PA25, registered XBFMA, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Namiquipa. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- August 1, 2018 · about 3:56 pm local time
- Place
- Namiquipa, Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA25 235 · all PA25s on the register
- Registration
- XBFMA · no longer on the register · serial 25-4177
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 1, 2018, about 0956 hours mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235 single-engine airplane, serial number 25-4177, Mexican registration XB-FMA, crashed in an agricultural field near Namiquipa, Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured. The local aerial application flight had departed Namiquipa, Mexico, at an undetermined time.The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC). This report is for informational purposes only and contains information released by or obtained from the government of the Mexico. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes Boulevard Adolfo López Mateos No. 1990, piso 4 Colonia Los Alpes, Tlacopac Delegación Álvaro Obregón Codigo Postal 01010 Ciudad de México México Telephone: (55) 5011-6413 E-mail: cidaiac@sct.gob.mx Website: http://www.sct.gob.mx/transporte-y-medicina-preventiva/aeronautica-civil/inicio/
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
- Aircraft structural failure during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Namiquipa
- Destination: Namiquipa
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- 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.