Amateur-built CH701 accident near Wake Forrest, North Carolina, May 14, 2000
On May 14, 2000 at about 11:45 pm local time, a amateur-built CH701, registered N942PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wake Forrest, North Carolina. 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel management during a cross country flight resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and his failure to achieve the proper touchdown point during a forced landing. This resulted in the pilot forcing the airplane onto the ground hard, and subsequent separation of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2000 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wake Forrest, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH701
- Registration
- N942PS · registry record · serial 7-1568
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a cross country flight with several intermediate stops. He was in cruise flight at 1,500 feet on the last leg of the flight when the airplane sustained a reduction in engine power. He started a left 360-degree turn in preparation for a forced landing, the engine power came back and decreased again. At the 180-degree point in the turn he observed a better forced landing area, he lowered the nose and the power increased again. He reduced the power to the idle position, turned the ignition switch off, applied flaps and started a left slip in order to reach the forced landing area. The airplane was fast and he was concerned about trees at the edge of the forced landing area. He forced the airplane onto the ground hard separating the landing gear, the airplane turned to the left and the right wing tip collided with the ground. Examination of the fuel tank by the pilot revealed no fuel was present in the fuel tank. The pilot stated the fuel burn was this flight was significantly higher than the projected burn which caused the engine to die from fuel starvation.
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: 109 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 82 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 444 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1999; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9NCO Knightdale NC at 10:10 pm
- Destination: NA Wake Forrest NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from RDU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N942PS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA00LA156.