Pilot Debrief

ZENITH ZODIAC 601XL near La Veta, CO — 2023-03-10

Final reportCEN23LA128
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Date
2023-03-10
Location
La Veta, CO, USA
Airport
07V
Aircraft
ZENITH ZODIAC 601XL
Registration
N969WD
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane in which he had no experience in strong, gusting wind, which resulted his failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine lost all power shortly after takeoff at an altitude of 400 to 500 above ground level (agl). The airplane then entered an aerodynamic stall, descended, and impacted the ground before coming to rest inverted. The pilot had just purchased the airplane and did not have any flight time in the accident make and model airplane. The previous owner was present when the accident occurred. He stated that he did not believe that the accident was a result of a loss of engine power. He noted that the engine runup was normal and the wind was 35 to 40 knots with gusts at the time of the accident. He saw the airplane after takeoff and it appeared to be bouncing around because of the wind. It then stalled and fell to the ground. He could not hear the engine noises due to the wind. A postaccident examination, which included an engine run, did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available evidence, the accident was likely the result of the pilot’s decision to fly the airplane in which he had no experience in strong, gusting wind. This led to exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall that the pilot had insufficient altitude to recover from.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have delayed the flight due to high wind conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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