Zodiac 601XL accident near Castellon, Es, January 19, 2018
On January 19, 2018 at about 9:30 am local time, a Zodiac 601XL, registered ECXKM, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Castellon. It was flown under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2018 · about 9:30 am local time
- Place
- Castellon, Spain · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Zodiac 601XL
- Registration
- ECXKM · no longer on the register · serial 07089-2297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 19, 2018, about 0930 UTC, a Zodiac 601XL, Spanish registry EC-XKM, owned and operated by a private individual, impacted mountainous terrain in the municipality of La Pobla de Benifassa, Castellon, Spain. A postimpact fire ensued. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger on board was seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual Meteorological conditions prevailed for the non-scheduled, personal cross-country flight that had departed from Les Marines Aerodrome, Valencia, Spain, and was destined for Cerdanya Aerodrome, Girona, Spain.This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Spain. Any further information regarding the investigation can be obtained from: Ministerio de Fomento Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes E Incidentes de Aviacion Civil (CIAIAC) C/Fruela, 6 28011 Madrid, Spain Telephone: +91 5978960 Facsimile: +91 4635535 E-mail: ciaiac@fomento.es This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the CIAIAC of Spain.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Valencia
- Destination: Girona
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.