Ayres accident near Midland, Texas, October 15, 2003
On October 15, 2003 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Ayres, registered N4013Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Midland, Texas (Big Spring Mcmahon-Wrinkle Air airport). 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
A loss of engine power due to a ruptured oil line. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain available 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
- October 15, 2003 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · Big Spring Mcmahon-Wrinkle Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres
- Registration
- N4013Z · registry record · serial R3S-002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an aerial application flight, the pilot's view became obstructed when oil covered the windshield, then the engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing. During the forced landing, the aircraft impacted a concrete culvert, a railroad embankment, a telephone pole, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the turbine engine revealed that a high-pressure, steel-braided oil line, which connected the nose engine case to the oil cooler, had ruptured.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 31,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 30,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,870 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 2002; 266 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: BPG Big Spring TX at 8:38 pm
- Destination: MDD Midland TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.