Amateur-built ZENITH CH701 accident near Fairfield, Utah, March 27, 2015
On March 27, 2015 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2012 amateur-built ZENITH CH701, registered N701VZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fairfield, Utah (West Desert Airpark 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 directional control during a precautionary off airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2015 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairfield, Utah · West Desert Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH CH701, built 2012
- Registration
- N701VZ · no longer on the register · serial 7-6687
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he thought he smelled smoke in the cockpit while en route to his destination. During a precautionary landing on a dirt road, the pilot stated he encountered a "dust devil" as the airplane touched down, and the airplane veered into a ditch. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Winds in the area were reported light and variable. The pilot holds a repairman certificate for the airplane; he reported a post-accident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have resulted in abnormal operation of the airplane. He did not find anything related to the smell of the smoke.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 464 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 403 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 27, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 220 hours total
- Operator: Zenith Aftv LLC
The flight
- Departed from: UT99 Cedar Valley UT at 5:30 pm
- Destination: Delle UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from KPVU, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2015. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Left Wing and Aileron (Photo Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Right Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | 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.