Globe GC-1B accident near Grants, New Mexico, October 30, 2010
On October 30, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Globe GC-1B, registered N3249K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Grants, New Mexico (Grants-Milan Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of partial engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Grants, New Mexico · Grants-Milan Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Globe GC-1B · all GC-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3249K · no longer on the register · serial 1242
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot purchased the airplane two days prior to the accident and was ferrying it back to his home airport. He serviced the airplane with 26 gallons of fuel at the first refueling stop, and shortly after takeoff, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing when he was unable to regain sufficient engine power. Examination of the engine revealed the carburetor bowl and engine-driven fuel pump fuel screens were clean with no visible contaminants. The engine was not able to be run due to impact damage; however, thumb compression and valve train continuity was confirmed to all cylinders.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,710 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-125-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNT Grants NM at 7:00 pm
- Destination: TUC Tucumcari NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 7,172 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GNT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 10, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3249K: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Globe GC-1 Swift 426 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Globe 426 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C-125-2 2 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Grants-Milan Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New Mexico 1,423 since 1982 · 184 in the last ten years
- New Mexico 3,111 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA044.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.