What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 29, 2021, at approximately 1140 eastern standard time, N601MX, a zodiac CH601XL, was involved in an accident with two people on board at coordinates 33°58?39? North and 83°39?26? West, while conducting a part 91 flight when attempting to land at the Barrow County Airport (wdr). As a result of the accident, the pilot and passenger received minor injuries and the airplane received substantial damage. The weather at the time of the accident were visual meteorological conditions with a visibility of 10 statute miles and 15 knot winds from the west.
According to a statement from the pilot, he was flying with another licensed pilot (the passenger) who was building the same aircraft as N601MX. The pilot had taken the passenger flying so he could see how that type of airplane flew. They had flown up at altitude for a while letting the passenger see how the airplane responded. They then returned to wdr. Initially the passenger was flying and had entered left downwind to runway 31 intending only to do a low approach down the runway. As they turned to final the airplane began a rapid descent. The pilot then took control of the aircraft from the passenger and attempted to add full power to do a go around, but was not able to arrest the high rate of descent. As the pilot tried to climb, he initially hit a lead in light to the runway, then came across the roof of a self-storage building and finally came to rest upside down in the gravel parking lot of the self-storage facility located next to the runway lights and just off the airport property. They were able to extricate ourselves before the fire department and paramedics arrived.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 29, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 1140 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, N601MX, A ZODIAC CH601XL, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD AT COORDINATES 33°58?39? NORTH AND 83°39?26? WEST, WHILE CONDUCTING A PART 91 FLIGHT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THE BARROW COUNTY AIRPORT (WDR). AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH A VISIBILITY OF 10 STATUTE MILES AND 15 KNOT WINDS FROM THE WEST.
ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT, HE WAS FLYING WITH ANOTHER LICENSED PILOT (THE PASSENGER) WHO WAS BUILDING THE SAME AIRCRAFT AS N601MX. THE PILOT HAD TAKEN THE PASSENGER FLYING SO HE COULD SEE HOW THAT TYPE OF AIRPLANE FLEW. THEY HAD FLOWN UP AT ALTITUDE FOR A WHILE LETTING THE PASSENGER SEE HOW THE AIRPLANE RESPONDED. THEY THEN RETURNED TO WDR. INITIALLY THE PASSENGER WAS FLYING AND HAD ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 31 INTENDING ONLY TO DO A LOW APPROACH DOWN THE RUNWAY. AS THEY TURNED TO FINAL THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A RAPID DESCENT. THE PILOT THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PASSENGER AND ATTEMPTED TO ADD FULL POWER TO DO A GO AROUND, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ARREST THE HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. AS THE PILOT TRIED TO CLIMB, HE INITIALLY HIT A LEAD IN LIGHT TO THE RUNWAY, THEN CAME ACROSS THE ROOF OF A SELF-STORAGE BUILDING AND FINALLY CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN THE GRAVEL PARKING LOT OF THE SELF-STORAGE FACILITY LOCATED NEXT TO THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND JUST OFF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THEY WERE ABLE TO EXTRICATE OURSELVES BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PARAMEDICS ARRIVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.