Amateur-built Zenith accident near Bolivar, Missouri, May 22, 2018
On May 22, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built Zenith, registered N622DP, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Bolivar, Missouri (Bolivar Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bolivar, Missouri · Bolivar Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Zenith 601, built 2007
- Registration
- N622DP · registry record · serial 6-3960-B
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed for a local personal flight in the experimental airplane that he had built and flown for about 500 hours. A witness saw the airplane flying about 50 feet above trees with the nose oscillating up and down. According to the witness, the engine was not "making any strange noises [and had a] steady tone." The airplane struck trees and impacted the ground about 0.75 mile south of the airport. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no discrepancies or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.The damage to the propeller blades was consistent with rotation at impact. An autopsy of the pilot was not performed. According to the toxicology report, no ethanol or drugs were detected. Given the oscillations described by the witness, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain airplane control following the takeoff.
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
- Loss of control in flight 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 › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,662 hours in all; 507 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 506 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 506 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M17 Bolivar MO at 2:25 pm
- Destination: M17 Bolivar MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 85 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from SGF, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 23, 2018. 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 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Departure Airport and Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Cockpit Instrument Readings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Portion of the Pilot's Logbook | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Portion of the Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Report Photos | PDF, 3 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.