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Accidents · NTSB WPR23LA314 · Final report

Amateur-built TEAM ACFT Z-MAX accident near Rigby, Idaho, August 9, 2023

On August 9, 2023, a 1992 amateur-built TEAM ACFT Z-MAX, registered N440ZM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rigby, Idaho (Rigby Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The loss of engine power during takeoff due to inadequately secured wires, which resulted in the wearing of the wires’ sheaths and the grounding of the airplane’s electrical system. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the flight.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
August 9, 2023
Place
Rigby, Idaho · Rigby Airport · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person was seriously injured.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Amateur-built TEAM ACFT Z-MAX, built 1992
Registration
N440ZM · no longer on the register · serial 440
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

Before takeoff for a local flight, the pilot emptied the wing tanks, cleaned the carburetors and fuel pump, and test ran the engine. The airplane had not flown in 8 years. A witness saw the airplane taxi up and down the taxiway multiple times both the day before and day of the accident, and then saw it depart on the accident flight. The witness heard the engine sputtering shortly after takeoff and stated that it was not operating at full power. The witness recalled the airplane made an abrupt left turn above the airport, and while in the turn, the left wing dropped sharply. The airplane then descended and impacted the ground with the left wing. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that two wires from the starter solenoid to the voltage regulator were inadequately secured and worn on their outer sheath, revealing the internal copper wires. The wires were routed across the right forward side of the engine support structure. The copper wires were in contact with the support structure, which likely grounded the airplane’s electrical system and caused the engine to lose power. The sudden drop of the left wing during the turn was consistent with the pilot exceeding the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the turn, resulting in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

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

  1. Loss of control in flight during takeoff
  2. Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng wiring › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
  • Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng wiring › Failure
  • Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng wiring › Incorrect service/maintenance
  • Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
  • Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained

Pilot

  • Certificate: private
  • Ratings: single-engine land
  • Flight time: 362 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 309 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: August 20, 2021
  • Medical certificate: BasicMed
  • Seat: sngl
  • Injury: serious injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 268 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2023; 1 hours since
  • Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
  • Seats: 1
  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Engine: Zenoah G50C (piston); 268 hours total
  • Fire on the ground

The flight

  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 19, 3,727 ft by 50 ft

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: clear
  • Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
  • Observation at 5:53 pm from KIDA, 9 miles away

Weather report (METAR): KIDA 082353Z 18006KT 10SM CLR 23/08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP155 T02330078 10239 20178 58007

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.