No fatalities

18 Aug 2013: GLOBE GC-1B — Lawrence Owen — Santa Teresa, NM

Santa Teresa, NM, United States

On 18 Aug 2013, a GLOBE GC-1B operated by Lawrence Owen was involved in an aviation accident near Santa Teresa, NM. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of directional control during the final approach due to an inadvertent encounter with a dust devil. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

On final approach, a pilot encountered a dust devil that caused the airplane to turn 90 degrees left. Despite attempts to recover, the airplane descended and hit terrain short of the runway, resulting in substantial fuselage damage.

Incident Overview

During final approach, the pilot had the airplane aligned with the runway's extended centerline. The approach progressed without incident until the airplane encountered a dust devil. According to the pilot, the dust devil caused the airplane to abruptly turn 90 degrees to the left.

Pilot Actions

The pilot attempted to steer the airplane back toward the runway, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The airplane subsequently descended and impacted the ground before reaching the runway.

Postaccident Findings

A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have interfered with normal operation. No other factors were identified as contributing to the event.

Summary

The event involved a loss of control following an encounter with a dust devil on final approach, leading to an off-runway impact with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial structural damage.

Contributing factors

PilotAbility to respond/compensate