Amateur-built CH 701 accident near Safford, Arizona, October 20, 2019
On October 20, 2019, a 2007 amateur-built CH 701, registered N3784A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Safford, Arizona. 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 in-flight separation of a propeller blade for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in an off-airport landing on soft sand and the separation of main landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2019
- Place
- Safford, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH 701 No Series, built 2007
- Registration
- N3784A · no longer on the register · serial 5319
- 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, while returning to the departure airport about 1,200 ft above the ground, the engine developed a severe and instantaneous vibration. He reduced power and searched for an emergency landing spot. The pilot chose a road as the landing spot, but the airplane landed about 40 ft short of the road in soft, rough sand, and the main landing gear separated from the airplane. The pilot reported that his pilot-rated passenger saw "something black streaking from the right, into the prop" before the vibration started. He suspected it was a drone but was not sure. The pilot added that there was no blood or feathers on the airplane or propeller. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A portion of one propeller blade was not found at the accident site. The pilot further reported that, using a handheld GPS, he returned to the area of the presumed in-flight propeller strike and found pieces of the propeller but no drone fragments. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that he suspected the airplane would have not sustained as much damage if he had landed in "one of the clear areas in the desert." He added that he "overestimated glide performance."
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller blade section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,570 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 2,504 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 85 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 17, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD Safford AZ at 11:45 pm
- Destination: SAD Safford AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from KSAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 19, 2019. 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 | Accident Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3784A 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.