- Date
- August 18, 2013, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Teresa, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7BRGlobe GC-1B
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130818016239A
- Case key
- 87806
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 loss of directional control during the final approach 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
While on final approach, the pilot had the airplane lined up with the runway's extended centerline. The pilot reported that the approach was uneventful until the airplane encountered a dust devil which resulted in the airplane turning 90 degrees to the left. He attempted to turn the airplane back towards the runway but was unsuccessful. The airplane descended and impacted terrain short of the runway. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
While on final approach, the pilot had the airplane lined up with the runway's extended centerline. The pilot reported that the approach was uneventful until the airplane encountered a dust devil which resulted in the airplane turning 90 degrees to the left. He attempted to turn the airplane back towards the runway but was unsuccessful. The airplane descended and impacted terrain short of the runway. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7BR
- Reported as
- Globe GC-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1416
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lawrence Owen
- Registered owner
- Lawrence and Deborah Owen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 5T6 · Santa Teresa, NM
- Destination
- 5T6 · Santa Teresa, NM
- Airport
- 5T6 · Dona Ana County Airport, runway 10, 9,550 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 250 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KELP, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.