Amateur-built CH601 accident near Cabool, Missouri, February 29, 2020
On February 29, 2020 at about 9:34 pm local time, a 2013 amateur-built CH601, registered N601ND, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Cabool, Missouri (Cabool Memorial Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 failure of the No. 1 cylinder piston for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 29, 2020 · about 9:34 pm local time
- Place
- Cabool, Missouri · Cabool Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH601 XL, built 2013
- Registration
- N601ND · no longer on the register · serial 6-6444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the personal flight stated that, after departure, the cockpit filled with smoke and the airplane then experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to return to the departure airport but landed in a field short of the airport runway; the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed the No. 1 piston was broken in two pieces, and the piston crank link was bent. The reason for the failures was unknown.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,024 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,976 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2020
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 163 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVB Cabool MO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: VIH Rolla/Vichy MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from UNO, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2022. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Log | 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.