Zenith CH601 accident near Overgaard, AZ
On November 16, 2018, a Zenith CH601 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Overgaard, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 16, 2018
- Place
- Overgaard, AZ
- Aircraft
- Zenith CH601 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.406°N, 110.524°W
- NTSB ID
- 20181116X04602
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 16, 2018, about 1546 mountain standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Zenith Zodiac 601XL airplane, N322JL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Overgaard, Arizona. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to a family member, the pilot and his son had planned a multileg flight from Fullerton Municipal Airport (FUL), Fullerton, California, to Orange Port, Florida. On the morning of the accident, they departed FUL and flew to Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), Lake Havasu City, Arizona. After landing at HII and refueling, they departed and were planning to stop at Mogollon Airpark (AZ82), Overgaard, Arizona, for the night, where the pilot owned a hangar. The family member stated that the pilot had flown into AZ82 in the past. Flight data shows the airplane’s turn onto the final approach to AZ82. (See figures 1 and 2.) While on runway heading, about 1/2 mile from the approach end of runway 21, the airplane was about 100 ft above ground level at an airspeed of about 62 kts. The remaining flight data showed the airplane track low, with airspeed increasing to about 70 kts. The last two targets of the flight track showed a slight right turn ending near the accident site. Several witnesses in the area stated that they heard a loud thud or felt a vibration about the time of the accident. The wreckage was identified by nearby homeowners about 1 hour after the accident between residential hangars near the
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to monitor the airport’s visual approach path indicator during the final approach to the upsloping runway, which resulted in a low approach path and impact with terrain.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
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- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona · Zenith aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
