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20230310002389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Dean William E ZENITH ZODIAC 601XL · La Veta, CO · March 10, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 10, 2023 · 10:45 local
Place
La Veta, CO
Airport
Laveta
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N969WD
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA128
Reported as
Dean William E Zenith Zodiac 601XL
Reported engine
ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Student
N969WDRegistered now · Dean William E ZENITH ZODIAC 601XLS/N 6-5349 · Built 2005Airframe modelDean William E ZENITH ZODIAC 601XLEngine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Eyewitness to accident had just sold the plane to the pilot at the controls at the time of the accident. He had advised them it was too windy to try and take off. The pilot told him they would be fine, they would get above the wind. Eyewitness watched the plane take off and get about 350 feet in the air and then the plane started coming down and crashed off the north side of the runway. Both the pilot and the passenger were outside of the plane when he drove up with minor injuries. Pilot and passenger were transported to the local hospital to be checked out.

Pilot stated he took off from the airport heading into the wind west bound. The winds were contant 35-40 knots and they gained about 350 feet when he lost control and the plane started to go down, they hit the ground with the front part of the plane and flipped onto the top. Both the pilot and the passenger were able to get themselves out of the plane. The plane was 0.4MI. From the east end of the runway and came to rest on its top facing southwest about 50 yards off the north side of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

EYEWITNESS TO ACCIDENT HAD JUST SOLD THE PLANE TO THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD ADVISED THEM IT WAS TOO WINDY TO TRY AND TAKE OFF. THE PILOT TOLD HIM THEY WOULD BE FINE, THEY WOULD GET ABOVE THE WIND. EYEWITNESS WATCHED THE PLANE TAKE OFF AND GET ABOUT 350 FEET IN THE AIR AND THEN THE PLANE STARTED COMING DOWN AND CRASHED OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE WHEN HE DROVE UP WITH MINOR INJURIES. PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL TO BE CHECKED OUT.

PILOT STATED HE TOOK OFF FROM THE AIRPORT HEADING INTO THE WIND WEST BOUND. THE WINDS WERE CONTANT 35-40 KNOTS AND THEY GAINED ABOUT 350 FEET WHEN HE LOST CONTROL AND THE PLANE STARTED TO GO DOWN, THEY HIT THE GROUND WITH THE FRONT PART OF THE PLANE AND FLIPPED ONTO THE TOP. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO GET THEMSELVES OUT OF THE PLANE. THE PLANE WAS 0.4MI. FROM THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST ON ITS TOP FACING SOUTHWEST ABOUT 50 YARDS OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN23LA128Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportLa Veta, COThe pilot’s decision to fly the airplane in which he had no experience in strong, gusting wind, which resulted his failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.Mar 10, 2023 · Substantial damage