Globe GC-1B accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, August 18, 2013
On August 18, 2013 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Globe GC-1B, registered N7BR, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Santa Teresa, New Mexico (Dona Ana County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during the final approach due to an inadvertent encounter with a dust devil
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · Dona Ana County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Globe GC-1B · all GC-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7BR · no longer on the register · serial 1416
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,970 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 9,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from KELP, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13CA494.