A new Safety Alert from the NTSB warns pilots, especially those flying small aircraft, of the “significant hazards to aviation” that dust devils present. According to the Board, dust devils “have been present in more than 170 accidents” investigated by the NTSB since 1982.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says a dust devil is a “small, rapidly rotating wind that is made visible by the dust, dirt or debris it picks up. Also called a whirlwind, it develops best on clear, dry, hot afternoons.” The risk to aviation safety they pose comes from their spiraling updrafts.
