Kaldor Gregory N ZENITH 701 N851RC

Summary

On 14 April 2014 at about 22:00 local time, a Kaldor Gregory N ZENITH 701 registered N851RC, operated by Robert Wilson, was involved in an accident near Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 April 2014 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

33.3894, -80.3395

Aircraft

Kaldor Gregory N ZENITH 701

Registration

N851RC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Wilson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manning → Manning

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA14CA200

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper decision to execute a precautionary landing to unsuitable terrain following an inflight encounter with a wind gust, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was flying over a small airstrip near a campground when he experienced a severe gust of wind that made the airplane turn abruptly to the right. The pilot felt that the airplane was out of control and decided to make a precautionary landing in a plowed field. During the precautionary landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose landing gear, wings, and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.