Zenith STOL CH750 N750WW

Summary

On 23 February 2024 at about 00:02 local time, a Zenith STOL CH750 registered N750WW was involved in an accident near Sextonville, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 2024 at 00:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Sextonville, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Richland (93C)

Coordinates

43.2983, -90.3023

Aircraft

Zenith STOL CH750

Registration

N750WW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN24LA119

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined, followed by a loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had recently changed the carburetor on the experimental, amateur-built airplane’s engine, and the accident flight was his third flight with the new carburetor. Although the previous flights had been uneventful, he thought that the fuel/air mixture was too rich. He stated that he intended to remain in the airport traffic pattern during the accident flight; however, he had no memory of the events of the flight. A witness reported seeing the airplane as it was departing the airport. The witness reported that the airplane was flying about 60 ft above ground level (agl) and climbed to about 100 ft agl followed by a shallow, descending left turn. The witness did not hear any engine noise and thought that the propeller was not spinning. The witness noted that the airplane was traveling very slow and then dropped straight down. The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest in a field less than 1 mile from the airport. Examination of the airplane, engine, and systems revealed no evidence of any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller blades did not exhibit signs of rotation at the time of impact. The witness, who responded to the accident site, reported that there was an odor of fuel at the site. Based on the available information, it is likely that the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. The witness’ account of the airplane traveling “very slow” and descending “straight down” is consistent with a loss of airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.