Zenith 601 XL N165TJ

Summary

On 20 June 2026 at about 16:47 local time, a Zenith 601 XL registered N165TJ was involved in an accident near O'Donnell, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

20 June 2026 at 16:47

Classification

Accident

Location

O'Donnell, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.9750, -101.7071

Aircraft

Zenith 601 XL

Registration

N165TJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lamesa → Jefferson City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA230

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On June 20, 2026, about 1147 central daylight time, an experimental Zodiac 601XL airplane, N165TJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near O’Donnell, Texas. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The pilot reported that she was relocating the airplane for the new owner, which was something she had previously done for this owner. During the preflight inspection, she did not find anything wrong with the airplane. About 15 minutes after departure, the canopy popped open about 2 inches, and she observed that the main canopy latch was no longer fully latched. As she initiated a right turn back to the airport, the latch broke and the canopy flew open. She grabbed the canopy rope and attempted to close the canopy but was unable. Due to the excessive drag, airplane’s descent increased so she executed a forced landing to a field. During the landing the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot added that she had accumulated about 20 to 30 hours in the same airplane model but had never flown this airplane before. Postaccident examination by the FAA revealed that the airplane landed in an agricultural field, perpendicular to the rows of crops. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and wings. The airplane was equipped with a forward hinging, tip-up canopy with gas struts that assisted in opening the canopy and supported the canopy when open. The main canopy latch was on the front left side near the instrument panel. The rear of the canopy frame featured a rope that locked into a cam cleat behind the pilot’s seat, which acted as a secondary canopy latch. A condition inspection was completed on May 18, 2026, at 388.6 hours airframe total time. The logbook entry noted that the canopy was clear with no distortion and recommended replacement of the canopy struts. The airplane has been retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.