Zenair CH2000 accident near Wentzville, MO
On November 16, 2001, a Zenair CH2000 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wentzville, MO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 16, 2001
- Place
- Wentzville, MO
- Aircraft
- Zenair CH2000 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.809°N, 90.850°W
- NTSB ID
- 20011123X02289
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 15, 2001, about 1845 central standard time, a Zenair CH2000, N33ZA, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Wentzville, Missouri. The pilot and his one passenger were fatally injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not on a flight plan and was operating in visual meteorological conditions. The local flight originated from the Creve Coeur Airport, Saint Louis, Missouri, about 1740. The airplane impacted the west side of a ravine that runs along the west side of a highway. The airplane was resting on a slope of about 40 degrees. The latitude and longitude of the accident site were determined using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver as 38 degrees 48.673 minutes north, 90 degrees 48.618 minutes west. The GPS receiver displayed an altitude of 620 feet at the initial impact point. Witnesses to the accident described the airplane in a steep descent angle prior to impacting the ground. One witness reported seeing the airplane flying in a westerly direction. The witness said that she, "... thought it was strange because there was no engine noise at all." She further stated that the airplane, "...was going steady and all of a sudden the plane just fell out of the sky. There was no gradual [descent] it just fell." Another witness reported that the airplane was at a low altitude with the engine "sputtering". The witness reported that just prior to impact he heard the airplane, "...go to full power." PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. Th
Probable cause
The improper selection of the fuel selector which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent engine failure. Factors were the unsuitable terrain for the forced landing encountered by the pilot and the night light condition.
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Browse: Missouri
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
