LAX93LA163

Factual narrative

On April 3, 1993, at about 1500 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 177RG, N34205, executed an emergency landing adjacent to Imperial County Airport, Imperial, California, after colliding with a parked airplane. The pilot was completing a local visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot told Mr. Nick Weber, Aviation Safety Inspector, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), San Diego [California] Flight Standards District Office, that prior to landing the surface winds were calm. The touch down was normal, but during the landing roll out the airplane made an abrupt swerve to the left and exited the 100 foot wide runway. After exiting the runway the airplane was heading toward a parked Cessna 175, N7378M. The pilot applied power and began a go-around. The airplane lifted off, but its left wheel struck the parked Cessna's leading edge wing and separated from the airplane. The pilot executed a fly by over the runway and elected to land, gear up, on the dirt area adjacent to the runway. A ground witness confirmed that the winds were calm as the airplane touched down. A "dust devil," however, developed as the airplane was rolling out. After encountering the dust devil, the airplane lifted off the runway and turned to the left. DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DUST DEVIL WHICH LIFTED AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER AND BEGAN A TAKEOFF. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE LEADING EDGE OF A PARKED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND INTENTIONALLY LANDED ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY WITH ITS LANDING GEARS RETRACTED. A GROUND WITNESS CONFIRMED THE DUST DEVIL PHENOMENA. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12