Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH701 accident near Eldon, Missouri, March 22, 2010
On March 22, 2010 at about 11:54 pm local time, a amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH701, registered N144AC, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Eldon, Missouri. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine thrust during takeoff due to the failure of the engine-to-propeller drive belts as a result of improper belt tension. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot's improper preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2010 · about 11:54 pm local time
- Place
- Eldon, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH701
- Registration
- N144AC · registry record · serial 74461
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, at 300 feet above ground level, the engine "revved excessively and power was lost to the propeller." The pilot performed an off airport forced landing. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that both engine-to-propeller drive belts failed, which led to the reported engine overspeed and lack of propeller drive. A representative of the manufacturer stated that the belt failure during the accident was caused by loose belts or a lack of proper tension on the belts and that the belt tension should have been checked during a preflight inspection.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 47 hours in all; 47 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 122 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagon (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H79 Eldon MO at 11:54 pm
- Destination: H79 Eldon MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10LA171.