Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 750 accident near Charlotte, Vermont, August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 750, registered N330B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Charlotte, Vermont (Pvt 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 pilot’s inadequate compensation for a crosswind during landing, which resulted in a side load application to the nose landing gear and its subsequent collapse.
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 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, Vermont · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 750 NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- N330B · registry record · serial 75-7469
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane stated that, during landing on the turf runway with an 8-knot crosswind, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the nose landing gear fork and doubler revealed that the materials and construction met manufacturer's specifications. Additionally, the assembly exhibited kinematic deformation, indicative of side loading. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot failed to adequately compensate for the crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in the side loading of the nose landing gear and its subsequent collapse.
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) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,130 hours in all; 46 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 16, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 54.8 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 18, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VT8 Shelburne VT at 5:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Charlotte VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KBTV, 10 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on May 25, 2017. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Parts Return Receipt | PDF, 2 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.