Rodgers ZODIAC 601XL N4589

Summary

On 14 July 2007 at about 18:18 local time, a Rodgers ZODIAC 601XL registered N4589 was involved in an accident near Levelland, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2007 at 18:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Levelland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Levelland Muni (LLN)

Coordinates

33.9231, -102.3861

Aircraft

Rodgers ZODIAC 601XL

Registration

N4589

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Levelland → Levelland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA161

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power for undermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 287-hour private pilot reported that the homebuilt airplane experienced a loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb. The airplane impacted the ground while the pilot attempted to return to the airport. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude and came to rest in the upright position in an open field within 50 yards of the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who responded to the accident site, was able to interview the pilot at the scene of the accident. The pilot reported that the airport perimeter fence limited the possibility of proceeding straight ahead for a forced landing. The pilot added that a turn was needed to maneuver the airplane to a suitable landing area. The inspector documented structural damage to all portions of the airplane forward of the cockpit, confirmed the availability of full fuel on board, and did not note any obvious discrepancies. In a telephone interview with the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge (IIC), the pilot stated that during the emergency turn back to the airport, he allowed the airplane to slow below minimum flying speed, and due to close proximity to the ground, was not able to successfully recover the aircraft prior to impacting the terrain. The pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, was not able to determine the reason for the engine's occasional loss of power. The pilot, who was also a mechanic, performed an inspection on the engine and could find a reason for the loss of engine power. The pilot added that he thought the engine malfunction was the result of a carburetor related problem. The airframe and engine had accumulated a total of 175 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.