Zenith STOL CH701 N736MM

Summary

On 22 June 2018 at about 23:30 local time, a Zenith STOL CH701 registered N736MM was involved in an accident near Maple Lake, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were 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

22 June 2018 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Maple Lake, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Maple Lake Muni-Bill Mavencamp (MGG)

Coordinates

45.2378, -93.9914

Aircraft

Zenith STOL CH701

Registration

N736MM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2016

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Maple Lake → Maple Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA237

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot and the flight instructor were flying in the airport traffic pattern. The pilot indicated that he smelled a "burnt electrical" smell after takeoff, so they decided to remain in the traffic pattern. After about 10 minutes of flight, the engine began to backfire and then lost total power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, turned the fuel boost pump on, and attempted a restart of the engine with no success. The pilot reported that he initially decided to attempt a forced landing on the runway. However, he assessed that he would be unable to clear power lines and instead decided to execute a forced landing onto a road. The airplane landed short of the road, impacted a ditch, and came to rest in a grass-covered field. During the forced landing sequence, the nosewheel collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine mount, and the right wing impacted a sign and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation. However, the engine would not start after multiple attempts. The origin of the "burnt electrical" smell could not be determined. Fuel was found on board; thus, fuel exhaustion did not occur. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.