Universal GLOBE GC-1A accident near Belen, New Mexico, May 7, 2023
On May 7, 2023 at about 7:40 pm local time, a 1946 Universal GLOBE GC-1A, registered N80892, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Belen, New Mexico (Belen Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with downdraft on takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2023 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Belen, New Mexico · Belen Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Universal GLOBE GC-1A, built 1946 · all GLOBE GC-1As on the register
- Registration
- N80892 · no longer on the register · serial 295
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while taking off, the wind shifted to a strong quartering tailwind. The airplane settled to the ground and the propeller contacted the runway before the landing gear could be extended by the pilot. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane unharmed. The airplane was destroyed by the postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Awareness of condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,200 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 3,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 15, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,464.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2023; 18.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,710 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors C-125-2 (piston); 1,464 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KBRG Belen NM at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,280 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KBRG
Weather report (METAR): KBRG 071935Z AUTO 20006G14KT 10SM CLR 27/M10 A3004 RMK AO2 T02661100
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 WPR23LA178.