Piper PA-25-235 accident near Mexico, Missouri, May 19, 1993
On May 19, 1993 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8787L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mexico, Missouri. 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
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor in the accident was the soft field landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1993 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Mexico, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8787L · registry record · serial 25-5473
- 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 PILOT REPORTED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING A SPRAY RUN. HE BRIEFLY APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, PUMPED THE THROTTLE AND LEANED THE MIXTURE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE SUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A SOFT, FALLOW FIELD AND NOSED OVER. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME. DURING THE REMOVAL AND SUBSEQUENT PREPARATION OF THE ENGINE FOR A TEST RUN IN A DIFFERENT AIRFRAME, SOME WATER WAS NOTED IN THE FUEL GASCOLATOR, OIL WAS SEEN IN THE LEFT MAGNETO, A BROKEN HIGH TENSION LEAD WAS REPLACED, AND A DIFFERENT CARBURETOR AIR BOX WAS FITTED. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY, EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT ROUGHNESS AT FULL RATED POWER.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 958 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 855 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,697 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H41 at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8787L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.