Zenair CH601 N638RM

Summary

On 31 May 2020 at about 21:45 local time, a Zenair CH601 registered N638RM was involved in an accident near Worthington, Minnesota, 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

31 May 2020 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Worthington, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Worthington Muni (OTG)

Coordinates

43.6556, -95.5833

Aircraft

Zenair CH601

Registration

N638RM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hutchinson → Worthington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20CA206

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's excessive brake application during the landing roll to avoid an animal on the runway, which resulted in a ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a gusting, left quartering headwind. He stated that during the landing roll, he saw a fox run across the runway in front of the airplane, so he applied hard pressure to the brakes. He added that the tailwheel spun around, the airplane violently twisted to the left, and the right main landing gear bent under the airplane. He taxied the airplane to the ramp with difficulty. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing immediately above the landing gear. The right tailwheel chain was broken. There was no evidence of an animal strike on the airplane and there was no carcass found on the runway. 

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.