Zenith CH601 N601SA

Summary

On 1 October 2020 at about 22:00 local time, a Zenith CH601 registered N601SA was involved in an accident near Burlington, Washington, 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

1 October 2020 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Burlington, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Skagit Regional Airport (BVS)

Coordinates

48.4693, -122.4215

Aircraft

Zenith CH601

Registration

N601SA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA002

Nobody was injured.

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

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that he remained in the airport traffic pattern after departure and, while turning from base to final during landing, the engine lost total power. The airplane impacted terrain short of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot provided conflicting statements regarding which fuel tank was selected at the time of the accident, and also drained fuel from the tanks before the airplane was examined; therefore, the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not determined. Examination of the fuel system confirmed continuity from each tank to the fuel selector. The exterior of the gascolator exhibited a green film that saturated the fuel line from the gascolator to the engine-driven fuel pump. The fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor was disconnected and purged. With the fuel selector in the right tank position, no fuel could be extracted from the fuel line. With the fuel selector in the left tank position, about 1 pint of a lime green-colored substance was purged from the fuel line. Examination of the throttle body also revealed the presence of the lime green substance. The liquid was consistent with 100LL aviation fuel; however, the lead content was higher than specification, which may have been the result of a lead-scavenging additive that the pilot used. The reason for its abnormal color could not be determined with the sample amount available. The wreckage was released to the pilot, who reported that he tested the ignition system and suggested that a coil selector anomaly may have resulted in the loss of power. However, his test was incomplete and unconfirmed. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on available evidence. 

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.