Air Tractor 401-0860 accident near Mumford, Texas, May 16, 2008
On May 16, 2008 at about 10:51 pm local time, a Air Tractor 401-0860, registered N15420, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Mumford, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2008 · about 10:51 pm local time
- Place
- Mumford, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor 401-0860
- Registration
- N15420 · no longer on the register · serial 401-0860
- 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 spraying a field in his single-engine agricultural airplane when the radial engine's chip light detector illuminated followed by a rough running engine and subsequent loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing to a narrow gravel road. As the plane touched down, the right wing contacted the tall rows of corn that lined the narrow road, which caused the airplane to ground loop and enter the corn field. Examination of the airplane revealed it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, vertical stabilizer, and both wings. The loss of engine power was undetermined.
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 engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 19,882 hours in all; 5,200 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Mumford TX
- 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 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 N15420 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.