Zenair Ltd STOL CH 701 accident near Wasilla, AK
On July 14, 2009, a Zenair Ltd STOL CH 701 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wasilla, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 14, 2009
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Aircraft
- Zenair Ltd STOL CH 701 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 61.595°N, 149.470°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090715X15408
Official records · ANC09FA062
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 14, 2009, about 0930 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped amateur built Zenair STOL CH701 airplane, N701BX, was destroyed during impact with terrain and a postcrash fire, following an uncontrolled descent during takeoff/initial climb from Kalmbach Lake, about 5 miles northwest of Wasilla, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airline transport pilot and pilot-rated passenger received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. An on-site examination of the wreckage was made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 14. During the examination it was discovered that the passenger was an FAA inspector from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, giving the pilot, who was an FAA designated pilot examiner (DPE), an annual proficiency checkride which was required to maintain his certification as a DPE. A witness at the site told the NTSB IIC that she had left her residence en route to town, and came upon the burning wreckage in the middle of the road leading to her residence. She returned to her residence and called 911. Another witness said he was familiar with the airplane, and had watched part of the accident takeoff. He said the airplane took an unusually long time to become airborne, but disappeared from his view prior to reaching the end of the lake. There were no witnesses to the actual impact. INJURY TO PERSONS Both the pilot and sole passenger were k
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during takeoff and his decision to fly the airplane over its allowable gross weight. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's excessive gross weight.
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
- Textron Aviation Inc 208B, Feb 6, 2025
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jul 7, 2013
- Cessna 208, Oct 10, 2001
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jun 25, 2015
Browse: Alaska
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
