Zenith ZODIAC CH601 XL N624RJ

Summary

On 2 September 2024 at about 14:14 local time, a Zenith ZODIAC CH601 XL registered N624RJ was involved in an accident near Odessa, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2024 at 14:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Odessa, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

38.9970, -93.9550

Aircraft

Zenith ZODIAC CH601 XL

Registration

N624RJ

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

Grain Valley → Marshall

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA333

2 people had minor injuries.

Overheating of the engine coolant for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in a precautionary off-airport landing, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, about five minutes after departure in his experimental amateur-built airplane, the engine coolant began to overheat. The pilot reduced engine power hoping that the coolant temperature would decrease or would not increase further; however, the temperature continued to increase, and the pilot chose to land in a field. During the landing, the airplane contacted a drainage ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. Postaccident examination of the automotive engine revealed no evidence of coolant leaks, and the coolant overflow tank was full of coolant. The cause of the overheating was not determined during the examination. The pilot stated that he had not experienced any issues with overheating coolant during previous flights.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.