Amateur-built CH701 accident near Snohomish, Washington, October 3, 2013
On October 3, 2013 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built CH701, registered N143TZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Snohomish, Washington (Harvey Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A jammed rudder control while maneuvering in the pattern for reasons that could not be determined. No follow-up examination was conducted due to a lapse in agency funding and subsequent government shutdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · Harvey Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH701
- Registration
- N143TZ · no longer on the register · serial 7-5884
- 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 during a test flight the airplane encountered moderate turbulence so he decided to return to the airport for landing. While turning to the crosswind leg in the pattern, the airplane suddenly banked sharply and descended uncontrollably. The pilot was able to regain control about 500 feet above ground level, and managed to turn the airplane to the downwind leg, but he continued to have difficulty maintaining control. The pilot then decided to make an emergency off airport landing to a field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with obstructions and nosed over. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. After the accident, the pilot reported that the loss of aircraft control was due to a jammed rudder for undetermined reasons.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Malfunction other cases naming the flight controls
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 223 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 223 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 12, 2013; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 3 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA at 9:45 pm
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:00 pm from PAE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 15, 2013. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N143TZ: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Harvey Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,568 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14CA004.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.