Amateur-built ZENITH CH-701 accident near Davenport, Iowa, April 12, 2011
On April 12, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built ZENITH CH-701, registered N701YB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Davenport, Iowa (Davenport Municipal 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
The improper installation of the rudder cable to rudder pedal attachment hardware.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Davenport, Iowa · Davenport Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH CH-701
- Registration
- N701YB · no longer on the register · serial 74495
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the flight, the pilot performed a preflight inspection, but he did not inspect the rudder pedals and rudder cable attachments. During takeoff, approximately 50 feet above ground level, the pilot felt something unusual with the left rudder pedal. The airplane immediately veered to the right, and the pilot initiated a climb in an attempt to troubleshoot the problem. Unable to determine what happened, the pilot maneuvered the airplane back to the airport. The airplane was difficult to control to the left and he determined he had to make a landing on the grass adjacent to the runway. During the landing, the airplane impacted a drainage ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the bolt/nut hardware that connected the left rudder cable to the rudder pedal had separated, and the cable became disconnected from the pedal. The nut, which is to be secured by a cotter pin, backed off of the bolt. The bolt and nut were found within the airplane. The experimental amateur-built airplane had accumulated approximately 19 hours of flight time, at the time of the accident.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 1,090 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVN Davenport IA at 10:25 pm
- Destination: DVN Davenport IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.
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.