Cessna 150H accident near Española, New Mexico, April 21, 2026
On April 21, 2026 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 150H, registered N6762S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Española, New Mexico (Ohkay Owingeh 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 pilot’s loss of of directional control during landing roll following an 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
- April 21, 2026 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Española, New Mexico · Ohkay Owingeh · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H, built 1967 · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6762S · registry record · serial 15067562
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, he observed a dust element to the right of the runway. He then felt a violent lifting of the right wing and the airplane weathervaned into the wind. He applied full power, corrected with rudder, aileron and initiated a go-around, however, the right wing continued to lift, and the left wing impacted the ground. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the right resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 16 with wind from 210° at 7 knots. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 707 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 685 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 23, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,881 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2025; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 868 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAM Los Alamos TX at 9:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,007 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 am from KLAM, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLAM 211035Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 11/M03 A3020 RMK AO2 T01131029 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 17, 2026. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR26LA168.