Amateur-built ZODIAC 601XL accident near Grady, Arkansas, July 20, 2017
On July 20, 2017 at about 9:45 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built ZODIAC 601XL, registered N577M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Grady, Arkansas. 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 loss of engine power due to a lack of ignition resulting from a broken alternator wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2017 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Grady, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZODIAC 601XL XL, built 2005
- Registration
- N577M · no longer on the register · serial 6-4210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot was conducting a cross-country flight when the experimental amateur-built airplane experienced a loss of engine power; the pilot then conducted a forced landing to a field, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a broken wire to the airplane's alternator; this specific wire supplied electrical power to the alternator field coil. Because the wire was broken, the alternator was rendered inoperative. The pilot would not have been able to detect the broken alternator wire without removing the engine cowl, which is not normally part of a pilot's preflight examination. The airplane's engine had been modified to use an ignition system that operated from the airplane's electrical system, which included a battery and the alternator to maintain the battery's charge. Once the alternator field wire had broken, the ignition system relied completely on the airplane battery's reserve power as the source of ignition power. Once the battery power was depleted, the ignition system could not operate, and the engine lost power due to the lack of ignition.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC generator › alternator › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC power distribution system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Last flight review: June 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F17 Center TX at 6:30 pm
- Destination: PGR Paragould AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PBF, 13 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.
Other NTSB records under N577M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.