Johnson Zodiac CH601 accident near Arlington, Washington, April 1, 2007
On April 1, 2007 at about 2:05 am local time, a Johnson Zodiac CH601, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N601J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, Washington (Arlington Municipal 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 apply carburetor heat when the engine lost power while being operated at a reduced power setting. Factors include carburetor icing condition, the pilot's failure to acquire the temperature/dew point information, and soft terrain in the field where the aircraft touched down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2007 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, Washington · Arlington Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Johnson Zodiac CH601, amateur-built
- Registration
- N601J · no longer on the register · serial 6-1125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in the process of aligning the aircraft to enter the downwind for landing when he decided that there were too many aircraft in the pattern and that he would maneuver to the west of the field until the number of aircraft practicing landings was reduced. As he turned away from the airport, he reduced his power to about 1,850 to 1,950 rpm (about 1,500 rpm below normal cruise), and then began to loiter to the west of the traffic pattern. Soon thereafter the aircraft's engine quit, and the pilot began looking for a place to make a forced landing. During the landing sequence, the pilot had to maneuver over some power lines, and just after he did so, the aircraft touched down on some soft terrain and flipped over onto its back. The pilot did not apply carburetor heat when the engine lost power, and because he had not listened to the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), he was unaware that at the time of the power loss there was only a one degree difference between the temperature and the dew point. According to the DOT/FAA/CT-82/44 Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, the pilot was operating in ambient conditions where serious carburetor icing could be expected at both glide and cruise power.
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: 300 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAWO Arlington WA at 1:15 am
- Destination: KAWO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from KAWO, 2 miles away
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.