Globe GC1-B accident near Miami, Florida, April 9, 1992
On April 9, 1992 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Globe GC1-B, registered N90379, was destroyed in an accident near Miami, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN ABRUPT PITCH UP MANEUVER DURING ACROBATIC FLIGHT RESULTING IN AN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE RIGHT WING SPAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1992 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Globe GC1-B · all GC1-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N90379 · no longer on the register · serial 393
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND COMMERCIAL PILOT PASSENGER DEPARTED KENDALL-TAMIAMI EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA, ON A VFR PERSONAL FLIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE TRAVELING WESTBOUND AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO CONDUCT AN UNCOORDINATED AILERON ROLL TO THE RIGHT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE AILERON ROLL, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO CONDUCT AN ABRUPT PITCH UP MANEUVER, SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND DESCENDED TAIL LOW. AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER WAS HEARD, THE AIRPLANE STARTED A RIGHT TURN, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED TO A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREE LINE. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED HE HEARD A 'POP-POP' SOUND FOLLOWED BY A LARGE BANG. THE WITNESS LOOKED UP AND SAW THE AIRPLANE TRAVELING EASTBOUND SPINNING TO THE RIGHT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. A SEPARATE LARGE PART WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING TO THE GROUND AS THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BELOW THE TREE LINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PIC, AND COMMERCIAL PILOT PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 10, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 1,710 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Franklin 6AS-350A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 4:04 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 pm from TMB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N90379 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.