Cessna 188B accident near Farwell, Texas, September 6, 2000
On September 6, 2000 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N21635, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farwell, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors were the smoke in the cockpit, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2000 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Farwell, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N21635 · no longer on the register · serial 18800923
- 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, flying an agricultural airplane at low altitude, and utilizing smoke generating equipment for marking swath runs, had completed spraying about two-thirds of a cornfield when he 'felt heat', and smoke 'filled' the cockpit. At the same time, the engine 'quit' producing power. The pilot then executed a forced landing to a rough/uneven, crop field. The pilot stated that the elapsed time from when he first felt heat, to ground impact, was about 2-3 seconds. There was no evidence of a sustained fire in the wreckage, however, the feeder tube, which supplies oil to the smoke generator, was found to be burned adjacent to the outside of the right exhaust stack. The smoke generator kit, which had an FAA approved Supplemental Type Certificate, had been operated prior to the accident with no reported problems. Examination of the engine did not reveal the reason for the reported loss of 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 221 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,394 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 1999; 221 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Bovina TX at 6:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°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.
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.