Globe GC1A accident near Ottawa, Kansas, November 28, 2020
On November 28, 2020 at about 7:16 pm local time, a 1946 Globe GC1A, registered N3318K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ottawa, Kansas. 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain attain proper pitch attitude of the airplane causing it to exceed its critical angle of attack, enter an aerodynamic stall, and subsequently impact terrain, and his poor decision making and lack of experience that led him to attempt the takeoff from the road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2020 · about 7:16 pm local time
- Place
- Ottawa, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Globe GC1A, built 1946 · all GC1As on the register
- Registration
- N3318K · registry record · serial 1311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that after making a forced landing that resulted from fuel exhaustion, the student pilot put 5 gallons of fuel on board and prepared to fly the airplane back to the airport. During the subsequent takeoff on a road and as the airplane was near takeoff speed, a car entered the intersection in front of him. The student pilot pulled back on the flight controls which put the airplane in an attitude where it exceeded its critical angle of attack. The airplane stalled, nosed over, and impacted the ground coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the forward fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the student pilot’s certificate was issued in October 2016 and he had not received any dual instruction for several years.
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 control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental C125 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOWI Ottawa KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KOWI
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 August 19, 2021. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.