Amateur-built STOL CH701 accident near Blaine, Minnesota, July 17, 2025
On July 17, 2025 at about 3:22 pm local time, a 2023 amateur-built STOL CH701, registered N237FC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Blaine, Minnesota (Anoka County/Blaine (Janes Fld airport). It was a flight test 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2025 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- Blaine, Minnesota · Anoka County/Blaine (Janes Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STOL CH701 NO SERIES, built 2023
- Registration
- N237FC · registry record · serial 7-5255
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the accident occurred while landing following the Phase 1 test flight. During the landing roll, with the nosewheel still off the runway, the airplane suddenly pitched down and veered left. The pilot attempted to regain directional control with a right rudder pedal input, but the airplane continued to veer left and departed off the side of the runway into the grass where the nose landing gear collapsed and the right wing struck the ground. The fuselage and right wing sustained substantial damage during the runway excursion. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 27 with wind from 320° at 4 knots.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) 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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,234 hours in all; 15.4 in this make and model; 9.5 in the last 90 days; 7.6 in the last 30 days; 13,673 as pilot in command; 880 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 10, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 378 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 12, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 28, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Raven Redrives Inc 1300SVS (piston); 30 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Blaine MN at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 am from KANE
Weather report (METAR): KANE 171549Z 32004KT 10SM CLR 20/11 A3015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 5, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | 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.
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 CEN25LA258.