Hoffman ZENITH 701 accident near Trinidad, CO
On April 30, 2015, a Hoffman ZENITH 701 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Trinidad, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 30, 2015
- Place
- Trinidad, CO
- Aircraft
- Hoffman ZENITH 701 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.208°N, 104.502°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150430X73708
Official records · CEN15FA211
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 30, 2015, about 1257 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Hoffman Zenith 701, N95MH, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain about 2.5 miles north of Trinidad, Colorado. The non-certificated pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated by the non-certificated pilot under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The time and place of departure, and the destination airport, are unknown. A witness who lived near the accident site reported the he heard the airplane approaching from the east and he went outside to observe the airplane. He saw the airplane making two left hand circles overhead about 200 to 300 feet above ground level. He could see the pilot wearing a headset and sunglasses. The engine was running normally and was "revved out." The witness reported that on the third circle, the airplane "floated." He stated that the pilot was turning the airplane by using the rudder, the wings were not banked to the left, and the airspeed was low. He reported that the engine noise stopped, and the airplane flipped over to the left and went straight down. He reported that the nose of airplane rose slightly before ground impact. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe 53-year-old pilot was not a certificated pilot and he did not hold a medical certificate. The pilot did not possess a valid driver's license, but did have a valid Colorado identificatio
Probable cause
The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in the airplane's wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
