- Date
- September 2, 1992, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Holtville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9923ACessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920902035069A
- Case key
- 27752
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 encounter with the unforecasted dust devil.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was departing on a local personal flight. During the takeoff roll he observed a dust devil north of the airport next to the freeway. At lift off the aircraft encountered a strong gust of wind that turned it to the left toward the freeway fence. The aircraft's left wing struck the fence. Two ground witnesses reported seeing the dust devil approach the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9923A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19283
- Airframe hours
- 3,314
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard M. Stuhr
- Registered owner
- Richard M. Stuhr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 1992 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- D. S. Dusters, runway 9, 2,200 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.