Amateur-built ZENITH STOLL 701 accident near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, September 1, 2021
On September 1, 2021 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built ZENITH STOLL 701, registered N705L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Grantsburg, Wisconsin (Grantsburg Muni airport). It was a personal flight 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in abnormal runway contact and the nose landing gear collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2021 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grantsburg, Wisconsin · Grantsburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH STOLL 701, built 2011
- Registration
- N705L · registry record · serial 7-6170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing with a slight quartering tail wind, the airplane touched down on the grass runway. The pilot reported that the runway was rougher than anticipated and attempted to lift the nose wheel for the remaining landing roll. The airplane became airborne, and the pilot pushed the control stick to a nose down position. The airplane bounced and then landed on the side of the nose wheel. The nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and aft fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2018
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 7, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 2300 CC (piston); 114 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 3,280 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 23, 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 | Photo Array | 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.
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.