Amateur-built STOL CH750 accident near Rockwell, North Carolina, July 21, 2021
On July 21, 2021 at about 8:44 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built STOL CH750, registered N750RS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Rockwell, North Carolina. 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 total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat at any time during the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2021 · about 8:44 pm local time
- Place
- Rockwell, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STOL CH750, built 2011
- Registration
- N750RS · no longer on the register · serial 75-8221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes into the flight the engine “burped” then progressively lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks but described no other remedial actions before the engine lost all power. The pilot selected an open field adjacent to a roadway for a forced landing where the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage. Atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing, and the airplane was fueled with automotive gasoline, which increased its likelihood. After the accident, a fuel can of aviation gasoline was plumbed into the fuel supply line at the left-wing root, and an engine start was attempted. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption through several power changes. Both a magneto and carburetor heat check were performed satisfactorily. The pilot reported that he did not apply carburetor heat during the accident flight.
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
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 706 hours in all; 7.1 in this make and model; 706 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 20, 2021; 0.7 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 370 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Concord NC at 8:14 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KRUQ, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRUQ 211955Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 30/18 A3000 RMK AO2 T03000184
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 6, 2023. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement (Email) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Post-accident Engine Run Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Video File - Postaccident Engine Run | MOV file | Download |
| 6 | FAA Saib CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention | 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.
Other NTSB records under N750RS 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.