Zodiac CH 601 XL, N601SA: Accident occurred October 01, 2020 in Burlington, Skagit County, Washington

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Seattle, Washington

https://registry.faa.gov/N601SA

Location: Burlington, WA

Accident Number: WPR21LA002

Date & Time: October 1, 2020, 15:00 Local

Registration: N601SA

Aircraft: Zenith CH601 

Injuries: 1 Minor

Flight Conducted Under:

On October 01, 2020, about 1500 pacific daylight savings time, a Zenith 601 airplane, N601SA, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Burlington, Washington. The private pilot (PVT) was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, during his first flight of the day, he departed and remained in the traffic pattern. During the turn from base to final about 300ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. He immediately retracted the flaps, transmitted the loss of engine power via UNICOM, and attempted an aerial restart to no avail. The engine restart was unsuccessful, and the pilot initiated a forced landing aligned with runway 29, but impacted the ground about 1,500ft short of the runway. The airplane collided with the paved surface of Higgins Airport Way, which marks the easternmost perimeter of the airport property. The airplane’s lower fuselage longerons were substantially damaged.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Zenith

Registration: N601SA

Model/Series: CH601 XL 

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Amateur Built: Yes

Operator: 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: KBVS,140 ft msl

Observation Time: 14:55 Local

Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles 

Temperature/Dew Point: 22°C /14°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: 

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,

Lowest Ceiling: 

Visibility: 9 miles

Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

Departure Point: Burlington, WA

Destination: Burlington, WA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor 

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries: 

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries: N/A 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 1 Minor 

Latitude, Longitude: 48.469333,-122.4215