Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 701 accident near Culpepper, Virginia, May 5, 2022
On May 5, 2022 at about 1:25 pm local time, a 2022 amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 701, registered N701VX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Culpepper, Virginia (Culpeper 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper glidepath, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2022 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Culpepper, Virginia · Culpeper Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 701, built 2022
- Registration
- N701VX · no longer on the register · serial 7-6028
- 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 he completed two landings uneventfully. During the third approach, the airplane was high, and the pilot attempted to recover the approach while maintaining an airspeed of 60 mph. The airplane developed a high sink rate and landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded about 50 ft before coming to rest upright on the runway. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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 defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 336 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 4, 2021
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 10, 2022; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,130 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 5 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 am from KCJR
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCJR 051335Z AUTO 04008G14KT 10SM BKN027 19/11 A3013
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 May 25, 2022. 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 | Photo Array | 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.