- Date
- April 20, 2013, 13:04 local (19:04 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N6955ECessna 175A
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Albuquerque FSDO
- Case key
- 86694
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s inability to maintain airplane control during taxi due to an inadvertent encounter with a dust devil.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that upon arrival at his destination, he realized there were dust devils in the vicinity that were diminishing or moving away; he decided they would not be a factor. He landed the airplane and was taxiing slowly on a taxiway when he saw a dust devil about 300 feet to his left front. He said that he had slowed to a stop by the time the dust devil engulfed the airplane, but the airplane was lifted about 3 feet off the taxiway surface. The airplane then impacted the ground on the right wingtip and propeller, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during his arrival to land he was aware of dust devils in the vicinity that were diminishing or moving away and were no factor. The airplane had just landed and was taxiing slowly on a taxiway when the pilot reported that another dust devil suddenly materialized about 300 feet to his left front. He had slowed to a stop by the time the dust devil engulfed the airplane which completely lifted the airplane about 3 feet off the taxiway surface. The airplane then impacted terrain on the right wingtip and propeller resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6955E
- Reported as
- Cessna 175A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 56455
- Airframe hours
- 3,158
- Engine
- Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 2013 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- 1N1 · Edgewood, NM
- Destination
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- AEG · Double Eagle II Airport, runway 22, 7,398 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 16, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 283 in this make and model · 254 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEG
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 346 KB in all.