Sanford ZENITH CH 601XL accident near Bristol, WI

On July 25, 2015, a Sanford ZENITH CH 601XL (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bristol, WI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

July 25, 2015

Place

Bristol, WI

Aircraft

Sanford ZENITH CH 601XL · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

42.581°N, 88.012°W

NTSB ID

20150726X63030

Official records · CEN15FA315

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Air Traffic Control - Plotted Radar Data: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Air Traffic Control - Excel File of Radar Points: Document (XLSX), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 25, 2015, about 1117 central daylight time, a Sanford Zenith CH 601XL experimental amateur-built airplane, N9601, impacted terrain as it descended near the Binzel Airport (WI95), Bristol, Wisconsin. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ), near Valparaiso, Indiana, about 1017 and was destined for Oshkosh, Wisconsin. According to fueling records, the airplane was serviced with 16.7 gallons of aviation gasoline (avgas) at VPZ on July 25, 2015. According to GPS data, the accident airplane took off from VPZ about 1017. According to radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it appeared on radar about two miles northwest of Hobart Sky Ranch Airport, near Hobart, Indiana. Near the end of the flight, about 1115, the airplane turned left, and then about 1116, the airplane turned right. About 1117:20, the airplane's groundspeed began to slow and the airplane began to descend from 1,722 feet MSL to a last recorded GPS data point of 1,152 feet MSL. From 1117:20 until the end of the recording at 1117:32, the airplane's lateral position changed by about 600 feet. The data showed the airplane's groundspeed slowed to 45 knots and slower during the final recorded data points. A witnes

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and airplane control following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the installation of ignition system coils that were not engine-manufacturer replacement parts, which subsequently failed and resulted in the loss of engine power.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.