Zenith Aircraft Company STOL CH 750 accident near Caney, Texas, June 11, 2024
On June 11, 2024 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2023 Zenith Aircraft Company STOL CH 750, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N17SD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Caney, Texas (Bay City Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing,
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2024 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Caney, Texas · Bay City Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Zenith Aircraft Company STOL CH 750, built 2023, amateur-built
- Registration
- N17SD · registry record · serial 75-10113
- 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 during a short field landing, the airplane was high as it crossed the runway threshold. The pilot reduced power and lifted the nose of the airplane. The airplane landed hard, the propeller struck the ground, and the nose landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The airplane came to rest on its nose and sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 11, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 44 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BYY Caney TX at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 5,107 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KBYY
Weather report (METAR): KBYY 111555Z AUTO 12003KT 10SM SCT025 SCT034 SCT040 31/23 A2988 RMK AO2 T03080237
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 August 30, 2024. 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 | Investigation Photographs | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN24LA217.