Skip to content

CEN13CA494

2013-08-18 · Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 5T6

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's loss of directional control during the final approach due to an inadvertent encounter with a dust devil

Factual narrative

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. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Dust devil/whirlwind-Ability to respond/compensate - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_CEN13CA494.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.