Cessna T188C accident near Los Rios, Ec, May 13, 2008
On May 13, 2008 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered HCBOR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Rios. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under non-U.S. private rules. 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
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
- May 13, 2008 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Los Rios, Ecuador · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- HCBOR · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 13, 2008, about 1700 central standard time, a Cessna T188C, Ecuadorian registration HC-BOR, registered to and operated by AIFA Incorporated, crashed following a loss of engine power, while on an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported no injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from La Estrella Airstrip, La Planada, Ecuador, earlier that day, at an unspecified time. According to information obtained from the Ecuadorian Subdireccion de Aviacion Civil, the airplane was at an altitude of 60 feet above the plants when the pilot noted a drop in the engine's RPM. The pilot discontinued with the application and climbed the airplane to an altitude of 300 feet while taking a heading to returned to the airstrip. About three minutes into the return flight, the engine had a sudden loss of power and simultaneously the propeller stopped rotating. While performing a forced landing the airplane collided with a cable used to transport produce to different locations within the plantation. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Ecuador. Any further information can be obtained from: Direccion General de Aviacion Civil Buenos Aires 149 Y 10 de Agusto P.O. Box 2077 Quito, Republica del Ecuador Phone: 593-2-223-8981 Fax; 593-2- 223-8352 This information is for informational purposes only, and contains information released by, or obtained for the Government of Ecuador.
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
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: La Planada
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from SELT
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 HCBOR 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.