Amateur-built ZENITH 601 HD accident near Danville, Kentucky, August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015 at about 11:10 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built ZENITH 601 HD, registered N740JB, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Danville, Kentucky (Stuart Powell Field). 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 improper adjustment of the propeller blade angle, which resulted in inadequate engine thrust, and his decision to continue the takeoff despite the excessively long takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2015 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Danville, Kentucky · Stuart Powell Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH 601 HD, built 2014
- Registration
- N740JB · registry record · serial 6-6837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who also the owner/builder of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, was conducting the airplane's first test flight. The pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane used about half of the runway surface, or five times the distance of a nominal takeoff roll, before becoming airborne. He added that the airplane then climbed to about 350 ft, at which point the flight controls began to feel "mushy." The airplane then entered a descent and impacted wires and trees before coming to rest in an open field. The pilot reported that the engine was producing full power throughout the flight but that the airplane would neither climb nor maintain altitude. Postaccident examination and testing of the airplane revealed that the pilot had likely misread the propeller adjustment tool when installing and adjusting the pitch of the ground-adjustable propeller and had inadvertently set the blades to an extremely low pitch. The low pitch of the propeller blades resulted in inadequate engine thrust, as evidenced by the long takeoff roll and the airplane's inability to climb.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Owner/builder
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 124 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 58 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 17, 2014; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Chevrolet T0928RD (piston); 6 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVK Danville KY at 9:05 pm
- Destination: DVK Danville KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from KDVK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N740JB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.