Pilot Debrief

ZENITH STOL CH750 near Byron, IL — 2025-01-15

Final reportCEN25LA078
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Date
2025-01-15
Location
Byron, IL, USA
Aircraft
ZENITH STOL CH750
Registration
N749WJ
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot inadvertently moved the ignition key to the off position and broke the key, which resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he noticed that his heavy keychain was pulling the key out of the ignition switch. He reached down to push the key back in, but inadvertently moved the key to the off position due to the thick glove on his hand, which resulted in a loss of engine power. When he attempted to reinsert the key and restart the engine, the key broke inside the ignition switch. He was unable to use the broken key to restart the engine. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no other mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents2

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