What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 10, 2021 at approximately 1003 local time an experimental amateur built aircraft zodiac zenith CH601, N22XF was involved in an accident in Oak Hill, Florida. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was fatally injured.
The weather conditions were day VMC with no ceiling, no visibility restrictions, and winds out of the north at 8 KTS.
Preliminary FAA radar data showed that a target (aircraft) departed Massey Ranch Airpark (X50), new smyrna beach, FL at approximately 1000. The aircraft headed sse at 200 ft for about 3 minutes before turning easterly. When the aircraft stopped transmitting it was heading 070 and at a ground speed of 98 KTS. Wreckage of N22XF was found located in the vicinity of this last radar return.
The aircraft wreckage was located in a wooded area. On scene investigation revealed that the airplane impacted trees before impacting the ground in a steep nose down attitude. There was no evidence of a post impact fire but there was a heavy odor of fuel leakage.
All major components of the aircraft were located at the accident site. The fuselage was folded over the cockpit and the outboard of the right wing was bent forward upon impact with a tree. The engine was buried a few feet into the dirt and the wooden propeller was shattered. The rudder was separated and lying behind the wreckage. The left wing (cables still attached) and horizontal stabilizer were separated and lying to the left of the wreckage.
The pilot was the builder of the aircraft. The pilot had a private (foreign based)pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. The us foreign base certificate was based on a united kingdom pilot license. No pilot certificate was recovered from the accident scene. Preliminary investigation revealed that the pilot was not flying contrary to the aircrafts's special airworthiness certificate conditions and limitations.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 10, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1003 LOCAL TIME AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT ZODIAC ZENITH CH601, N22XF WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN OAK HILL, FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED.
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DAY VMC WITH NO CEILING, NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS, AND WINDS OUT OF THE NORTH AT 8 KTS.
PRELIMINARY FAA RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT A TARGET (AIRCRAFT) DEPARTED MASSEY RANCH AIRPARK (X50), NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL AT APPROXIMATELY 1000. THE AIRCRAFT HEADED SSE AT 200 FT FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING EASTERLY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED TRANSMITTING IT WAS HEADING 070 AND AT A GROUND SPEED OF 98 KTS. WRECKAGE OF N22XF WAS FOUND LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF THIS LAST RADAR RETURN.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A WOODED AREA. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A POST IMPACT FIRE BUT THERE WAS A HEAVY ODOR OF FUEL LEAKAGE.
ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE FUSELAGE WAS FOLDED OVER THE COCKPIT AND THE OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT WING WAS BENT FORWARD UPON IMPACT WITH A TREE. THE ENGINE WAS BURIED A FEW FEET INTO THE DIRT AND THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS SHATTERED. THE RUDDER WAS SEPARATED AND LYING BEHIND THE WRECKAGE. THE LEFT WING (CABLES STILL ATTACHED) AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WERE SEPARATED AND LYING TO THE LEFT OF THE WRECKAGE.
THE PILOT WAS THE BUILDER OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT HAD A PRIVATE (FOREIGN BASED)PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. THE US FOREIGN BASE CERTIFICATE WAS BASED ON A UNITED KINGDOM PILOT LICENSE. NO PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT FLYING CONTRARY TO THE AIRCRAFTS'S SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.