What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A zenith zodiac CH601 aircraft was destroyed in an accident while trying to return to airport IL91. The aircraft experience an apparent oil leak and the pilot stated he smelled oil and the cockpit started to fill with smoke. During the approach, the pilot opened the cockpit canopy to attempt to regain visibility when the aircraft went down in a field. There was a post impact fire and it destroyed the airplane. A nearby surveillance camera showed the aircraft impact in a nose high upright configuration, then flipped over and became inverted. The smoke was immediately visible.
The pilot/privacy data omitted was seriously injured and the aircraft logbooks were not accessible to determine the aircraft hours for block 13E.
As the FAA filed it
A ZENITH ZODIAC CH601 AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO RETURN TO AIRPORT IL91. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCE AN APPARENT OIL LEAK AND THE PILOT STATED HE SMELLED OIL AND THE COCKPIT STARTED TO FILL WITH SMOKE. DURING THE APPROACH, THE PILOT OPENED THE COCKPIT CANOPY TO ATTEMPT TO REGAIN VISIBILITY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN IN A FIELD. THERE WAS A POST IMPACT FIRE AND IT DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. A NEARBY SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT IN A NOSE HIGH UPRIGHT CONFIGURATION, THEN FLIPPED OVER AND BECAME INVERTED. THE SMOKE WAS IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE.
THE PILOT/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE AIRCRAFT HOURS FOR BLOCK 13E.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.