Amateur-built CH 750 accident near Xenia, Ohio, December 23, 2019
On December 23, 2019 at about 8:04 pm local time, a 2019 amateur-built CH 750, registered N227L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Xenia, Ohio (Greene County-Lewis A Jackson airport). It was a flight test 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 pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing, which resulted in the right tire contacting the runway first followed by the left wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2019 · about 8:04 pm local time
- Place
- Xenia, Ohio · Greene County-Lewis A Jackson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH 750, built 2019
- Registration
- N227L · registry record · serial 75-8165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the flight was the first flight of the experimental, amateur-built airplane. He stated that he was lined up with the runway centerline for landing, that the airspeed was 60 mph, and that the tachometer was showing 1,600 rpm when he felt the right tire contact the runway. He said "in an instant the left wing came down and the left tire and axle [were] sheared off. The left wing impacted the runway and the plane skidded about 40 feet and came to a full stop." The pilot used a higher landing airspeed because he had been told by other builders of that airplane that he needed to land with speed "so as not [to] get near the stall speed as this aircraft does have leading edge slats and this equates to a high lift wing." Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear and the left wing strut sustained substantial damage.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 341 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,440 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Corvette (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I19 Xenia OH at 7:30 pm
- Destination: I19 Xenia OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KFFO
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 April 7, 2020. 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's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pertinent E-mails | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Report Photos | PDF, 4 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.