Zenith CH650LS N232PA

Summary

On 5 September 2020 at about 20:00 local time, a Zenith CH650LS registered N232PA, operated by Zodiac Jockeys Llc, was involved in an accident near Villa Rica, Georgia, United States. 2 people were 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

5 September 2020 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Villa Rica, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Earl L Small Jr Fld/Stockmar (20GA)

Coordinates

33.7562, -84.8802

Aircraft

Zenith CH650LS

Registration

N232PA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Zodiac Jockeys Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA311

Nobody was injured.

A loss of directional control during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the takeoff roll was normal until the airplane reached a speed of about 40-45 knots, when the right rudder pedal suddenly felt “soft” followed by a sudden uncommanded swerve to the left. He attempted to correct the swerve with full right rudder and right brake but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway, the pilot applied both brakes “heavily,” and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left side of the fuselage aft of the wing. The pilot suspected a possible steering malfunction, however, a postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector was unable to discover any defects of the steering mechanism.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.