Amateur-built ZENITH 701 accident near Milford, Utah, October 17, 2013
On October 17, 2013 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built ZENITH 701, registered N67MG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Milford, Utah. 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 improper decision to execute a precautionary landing to unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Milford, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ZENITH 701, built 2007
- Registration
- N67MG · registry record · serial 7-5298
- 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 en route on the cross-country flight he noticed that the cylinder head temperature was rising. Suspecting a water leak through the cooling hose, he surveyed the remote area and made a precautionary landing on what appeared to be suitable terrain. After touchdown and during the landing roll the airplane encountered uneven ground, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the airplane's right wing and empennage. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he should not have landed until he had located better terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact loss of engine 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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng liquid cooling › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 1,367 hours in all; 960 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,327 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 958 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 2012; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELY Ely NV at 9:30 pm
- Destination: RIF Richfield UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.