Sanclemente Zenith CH 601HDS accident near Leominster, MA
On October 26, 2004, a Sanclemente Zenith CH 601HDS (airplane) was involved in an accident near Leominster, MA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 26, 2004
- Place
- Leominster, MA
- Aircraft
- Sanclemente Zenith CH 601HDS · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 42.554°N, 71.759°W
- NTSB ID
- 20041108X01780
NTSB summary
On October 26, 2004, about 1540 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Zenith CH 601HDS, N166DK, was destroyed when it impacted a machine shop in Leominster, Massachusetts, shortly after takeoff from Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT), Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The certificated airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for local flight test, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the accident occurred during the airplane's first flight. The inspector also reported that the pilot had previously flight tested many other homebuilt airplanes. According to the owner/builder of the airplane, both he and the pilot conducted a thorough preflight, and the pilot subsequently started the airplane per the start-up checklist, with the owner/builder looking over his shoulder. The owner then reminded the pilot to remove the Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) safety pin prior to takeoff, and to double check the trim indications. The pilot then taxied to runway 32, and announced over the radio that he'd hold in the run-up area to allow the engine to warm up. About that time, the owner/builder reminded the pilot again, via hand-held radio, to double check the trim indications and make sure the BRS safety pin was removed. The pilot then taxied the airplane onto runway 32, announced his intentions, and stated that it was the airplane's first flight. The owner/builder observed the first part of the takeoff roll to be "completely normal, and there was no side-to-side
Probable cause
A loss of aircraft control for an undetermined reason.
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Browse: Massachusetts
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
