Amateur-built ZENAIR 601XL accident near Hempstead, Texas, April 24, 2016
On April 24, 2016 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built ZENAIR 601XL, registered CGXLP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hempstead, Texas. 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 loose output connection from the generator voltage regulator, which resulted in a loss of power to the electronic ignition system, a total loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing, during which the airplane impacted a sign pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2016 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hempstead, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENAIR 601XL, built 2005
- Registration
- CGXLP · no longer on the register · serial 5750
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed on a cross-country flight in his experimental, amateur-built airplane, which was equipped with an electronic ignition system. The pilot did not detect any electrical system anomalies before departure, but, about 14 minutes into the flight, the avionics switched to internal battery power. The pilot was unable to troubleshoot the electrical system, and about 2 minutes later the engine experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent forced landing to a road, the airplane's left wing impacted a road sign, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot conducted a postaccident examination of the airplane and found a loose connection at the generator regulator output. This eventually led to the total loss of electrical power and a subsequent loss of engine power.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 273 hours in all; 157 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 273 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Corvair (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Houston TX at 2:24 pm
- Destination: 11R Brenham TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 12, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Systems - Image of the Airplane's Voltage Regulator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Systems - Electrical System Diagram Supplied by the Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Information - Battery Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Miscellaneous Information - Article on Overvoltage Protection | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary Odyssey Battery | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary Fly Corvair Representative | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary Pilot | PDF, 1 page | 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.