Davidson ZENITH STOL CH701 N701RD

Summary

On 18 July 2011 at about 00:05 local time, a Davidson ZENITH STOL CH701 registered N701RD, operated by Bradley Thomas J, was involved in an accident near Glendale, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 2011 at 00:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Glendale, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Nace Family Airstrip (OG41)

Coordinates

42.7733, -123.3111

Aircraft

Davidson ZENITH STOL CH701

Registration

N701RD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bradley Thomas J

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Azalea → Azalea

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA333

2 people died.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain airplane control during the forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to ensure that the fuel valves were in the correct position for flight during the preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had been flying in the traffic pattern before landing, shutting down, and subsequently taking on a passenger for a short flight. Witnesses reported that, after takeoff, the airplane reached an altitude of 500 feet and that the engine then sputtered and lost power. The airplane then turned steeply left and descended rapidly. The airplane partially rolled out of the turn, but the descent rate was not arrested, and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain. Witnesses responded to the accident site and heard the fuel pump operating; however, they did not see or smell fuel in the area. The left wing root fuel valve was found in the "off" position, and the right wing root fuel valve was found nearly in the "off" position. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were nearly full with fuel. However, the fuel hoses removed downstream of the fuel valves were found empty. No evidence was found of a mechanical malfunction or failure with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. If the pilot had performed a preflight or run-up inspection before takeoff, which would have included checking the fuel valve positions, he might have noted that the fuel valves were in the "off" position. The toxicology results indicated the pilot had used lorazepam (an antianxiety medication); however, due to the low levels detected, it is unlikely that it was impairing at the time of the accident. It could not be determined whether the underlying medical condition caused impairment and contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.