Amateur-built Zenith 801 accident near Manvel, Texas, November 10, 2001
On November 10, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Zenith 801, registered N54RX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manvel, Texas. 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
loss of engine power while maneuvering for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Manvel, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Zenith 801
- Registration
- N54RX · no longer on the register · serial 84347
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane was at 1,500 feet msl and maneuvering at a slow airspeed for 7-8 minutes when the engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, restarted the engine, and continued the flight toward a nearby airport. Prior to reaching the airport, the engine again lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a highway. Due to traffic on the highway, the pilot had to delayed the landing, which resulted in the airplane continuing towards power lines. As the pilot "quickly landed the airplane," the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop upright on the highway. During an examination of the airplane, 3 inches of fuel was found in both of the fuel tanks, and over 15 gallons of fuel was drained. Upon further inspection of the fuel system, no blockages were found in the fuel lines, and the gascolator was clean. The pilot suspected that a vacuum was created in both of the fuel tanks since there were no fuel tank vents, except for the vents in the fuel caps. The airplane had accumulated 5 hours at the time of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 258 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 231 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 2, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 2, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVJ Friendswood TX at 8:10 pm
- Destination: 3T2 Manvel TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.