What happened
On May 13, 2008, at approximately 1700 CST, a Cessna T188C, registration HC-BOR, was conducting an aerial application flight near Los Rios, Ecuador. The flight originated from La Estrella Airstrip in La Planada earlier that day. The weather conditions were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 200 degrees at 18 knots.
While flying at an altitude of 60 feet above crops, the pilot observed a decrease in engine RPM. In response, the pilot ended the application mission and climbed to 300 feet while attempting to return to the airstrip. Approximately three minutes into the return leg, the engine suffered a sudden loss of power and the propeller ceased rotation. During the subsequent forced landing, the aircraft struck a cable used for transporting produce within the plantation and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. The pilot was not injured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.