Amateur-built ZENITH 601XL accident near Warren, Ohio, March 20, 2010
On March 20, 2010 at about 1:00 pm local time, a amateur-built ZENITH 601XL, registered N61601, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Warren, Ohio (Lebanon-Warren County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of an oil hose due to improper installation of the hose.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2010 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Ohio · Lebanon-Warren County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH 601XL
- Registration
- N61601 · no longer on the register · serial 6-4602
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to conduct flight testing of the amateur-built experimental airplane. The pilot was also the owner/builder. He stated that while conducting some clearing turns in preparation for slow flight testing, he observed an oil pressure warning on the engine monitor. The indicated oil pressure was zero. He immediately turned toward the airport and reduced engine power to idle. About 60 seconds after the oil pressure warning, the engine lost power completely. The pilot established best glide airspeed and set up for a forced landing. He noted that he overshot the first field he had selected, but then settled on a second field. The airplane clipped two sets of trees during the approach and struck a wire fence during the landing. The pilot estimated that the airplane slid 20 feet after touching down. A postaccident inspection revealed a failure of an oil hose. Specifically, the return hose from the oil cooler had a 1-inch longitudinal split at a bend in the line. The pilot commented that he might not have properly accounted for the compound S-bend at that location on installation. The airplane had accumulated about 5.4 hours at the time of the accident. The airplane received damage to the firewall and fuselage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 77 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 26, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 28, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,232 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I68 Lebanon OH at 12:00 pm
- Destination: I68 Lebanon-Warren OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MGY, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.