Aircraft Mfg & Dvlpmt CO CH601XL accident near Pleasanton, Kansas, March 31, 2015
On March 31, 2015 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 2006 Aircraft Mfg & Dvlpmt CO CH601XL, registered N623HS, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Pleasanton, Kansas (Easley Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessively high angle-of-attack on rotation that prevented the airplane from climbing sufficiently to avoid the approaching trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2015 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Pleasanton, Kansas · Easley Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aircraft Mfg & Dvlpmt CO CH601XL, built 2006 · all CH601XLs on the register
- Registration
- N623HS · no longer on the register · serial 601-026S
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot was conducting a personal flight with a pilot-rated passenger onboard. Witnesses stated that they saw the airplane lift off the runway in a nose-high attitude; they were unsure if the tail contacted the runway. They said the airplane appeared to be "behind the power curve" and "flying in ground effect." The airplane drifted left of the extended runway centerline and collided with the tops of trees at the end of the runway, fell to the ground inverted, and caught fire. Examination of the engine and propeller indicated the engine was operating at high power at the time of impact. The pilot's autopsy report showed severe coronary artery disease that posed a very significant hazard. However, the cause of death was attributed to thermal injuries. The circumstances of the accident were consistent with the pilot over-rotating the airplane on takeoff, resulting in an excessively high angle-of-attack with insufficient power available to climb and clear the trees on departure. It is unlikely the pilot could have seen or avoided the trees as the airplane approached the end of the runway.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 529 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 306 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Pleasanton KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,450 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 8:29 pm from KOJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on March 9, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Interviews | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Google Aerial View of the Accident Site and Its Proximity to Pleasanton, Kansas | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Pilot's Logbook | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Airframe Logbook | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpts Froim Engine Logbook | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicology Reports, Herbert L. Siegel | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Toxicology Reports, Brian C. Decker | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Certification of Party Representative to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Report Photos | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.