Wrb Associates ZODIAC 601 XL N634WB

Summary

On 1 November 2007 at about 21:35 local time, a Wrb Associates ZODIAC 601 XL registered N634WB, operated by Stevens Lee Walker, was involved in an accident near La Belle, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 November 2007 at 21:35

Classification

Accident

Location

La Belle, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

40.0236, -91.8739

Aircraft

Wrb Associates ZODIAC 601 XL

Registration

N634WB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stevens Lee Walker

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lewistown → Lewistown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08LA031

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent flight experience and his total lack of experience in the accident airplane model.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was certified as an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) four days before the accident. The accident occurred during the airplane's first flight since manufacture. Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane depart and then commence a series of left turns about two miles southeast of the airport. While the airplane was established in a left turn it rolled to the left and entered a near vertical descent. The airplane exploded upon impact and a ground fire ensued. The wreckage was found in a vacant field with no obstructions in the general area of the accident site. The absence of any discernible lateral ground markings was consistent with a near vertical impact. Examination of the recovered wreckage revealed no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction. The pilot did not have any flight experience in a model 601 XL airplane before the accident flight. The pilot's most current flight review was completed more than 16 years before the accident. According to the pilot's wife, it had been nearly 10 years since he last piloted an aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.