Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB CEN18LA012
GLOBE GC 1A — Los Lunas, NM
| Date | October 9, 2017 |
| Location | Los Lunas, NM |
| Aircraft | GLOBE GC 1A |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Aircraft structural failure |
| Pilot age | 72 |
| Pilot total time | 3,275 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
The airplane arrived to the airport as a refuel stop the day before the accident. During the landing, the airplane ground looped and sustained unknown damage to the airplane. Over the course of that day and the day of the accident, the pilot, who was also a mechanic, completed repairs to the airplane with the assistance from persons at the airport. A portion of the repairs included welding to the right main landing gear link assemblies, and any additional repairs to the airplane were unknown. During takeoff the day following the ground loop, the airplane veered to the left of the runway and struck a berm. The airplane became airborne and then impacted a steel culvert structure adjacent to the runway. The pilot died of his injuries 17 days after the accident. Persons who spoke to the pilot before and after the accident reported the pilot had minimal flying experience in recent years in the accident airplane. The pilot stated during his hospital stay after the accident that there were no mechanical issues during the accident takeoff.