Amateur-built ZENITH CH 701 accident near Jackson, Wyoming, May 16, 2018
On May 16, 2018 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built ZENITH CH 701, registered N44CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Jackson, Wyoming (N/A airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot’s failure to maintain proper control of the airplane, which led to a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2018 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · N/A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH CH 701 NO SERIES, built 2011
- Registration
- N44CP · registry record · serial 7-7365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that had just finished rebuilding the airplane and was conducting a local, personal flight, which was the airplane’s first flight since an accident 5 years earlier. While returning to land on a grass strip and shortly after switching from the right to the left tank, the engine began to run roughly and “sputter.” The pilot added that the airplane was “high and fast” on the approach but that he chose to continue the landing due to the engine problem. Upon landing, the airplane bounced, the nosewheel hit the ground hard and collapsed, and the airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence off mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the airplane had an adequate amount of fuel onboard when the engine lost power. He added that the quick fuel disconnect on the left wing fuel tank was loose before the flight, so he reconnected the fitting and speculated that air might have entered the lines when he reconnected the fitting and led to the engine sputtering when he switched tanks. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 944.7 hours in all; 59.7 in this make and model; 0.3 in the last 90 days; 0.3 in the last 30 days; 826.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 59.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 17, 2013; 0.1 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 60 hours total
The flight
- Runway N/A, 1,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from JAC, 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 26, 2021. 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 | Accident Site Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record of Information Provided by the FAA | 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.
Other NTSB records under N44CP 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.