Stephenson ZODIAC 601 XL accident near Antelope Island, UT
On March 3, 2009, a Stephenson ZODIAC 601 XL (airplane) was involved in an accident near Antelope Island, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 3, 2009
- Place
- Antelope Island, UT
- Aircraft
- Stephenson ZODIAC 601 XL · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.959°N, 112.230°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090304X63009
Official records · WPR09FA141
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 3, 2009, about 0840 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Stephenson Zodiac 601XL, N3683X, collided with mountainous terrain following the in-flight failures of both wings and an uncontrolled descent on Antelope Island, approximately 12 miles southwest of Syracuse, Utah. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was killed. The airplane was owned by a private party and was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated from Tooele, Utah, approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident with an intended destination of Bountiful, Utah. Family members alerted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the airplane was overdue and an alert notice (ALNOT) was issued. Search and Rescue personnel discovered the wreckage later that evening in a remote area on the western side of Antelope Island, Utah. The wreckage came to rest on sloping terrain, approximately 1,600 feet below a ridgeline. According to FAA radar data, a radar target associated with the accident airplane departed Tooele and proceeded north toward Antelope Island; altitude data was not available. The final radar target was depicted over Antelope Island at 0838 about 0.5 miles south of the wreckage location. Calculations using both radar and meteorological data indicate that the flight was steadily progressing northward at 113 knots calibrated a
Probable cause
The in-flight failure of both wings due to aileron flutter. The aileron flutter was the result of inadequate wing stiffness and the lack of aileron counterbalances.
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Browse: Utah
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
