Peet Charles ZENITH CH 701 N44CP

Summary

On 16 May 2018 at about 20:00 local time, a Peet Charles ZENITH CH 701 registered N44CP was involved in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 May 2018 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Jackson, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

N/A (Priv)

Coordinates

43.2889, -110.6531

Aircraft

Peet Charles ZENITH CH 701

Registration

N44CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA178

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot’s failure to maintain proper control of the airplane, which led to a hard, bounced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that had just finished rebuilding the airplane and was conducting a local, personal flight, which was the airplane’s first flight since an accident 5 years earlier. While returning to land on a grass strip and shortly after switching from the right to the left tank, the engine began to run roughly and “sputter.” The pilot added that the airplane was “high and fast” on the approach but that he chose to continue the landing due to the engine problem. Upon landing, the airplane bounced, the nosewheel hit the ground hard and collapsed, and the airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence off mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the airplane had an adequate amount of fuel onboard when the engine lost power. He added that the quick fuel disconnect on the left wing fuel tank was loose before the flight, so he reconnected the fitting and speculated that air might have entered the lines when he reconnected the fitting and led to the engine sputtering when he switched tanks. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.