- Date
- October 16, 2003, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Brussels, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N701USCroke Zenith CH 701
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Milwaukee, WI FSDO
- FAA report
- 20031016029249A
- Case key
- 58173
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The experimental amateur built airplane collided with trees during a forced landing following a go-around on runway 18 (1,000 feet by 20 feet, grass). The pilot stated he was not happy with the approach so he initiated a go-around from an altitude of about 15 feet above the ground. He reported the engine only produced about 4,000 rpm instead of the normal 5,300 rpm when he applied full power. The pilot reported he was unable to sustain a climb with the reduced power and the airplane settled into trees in a wooded area off the south end of the airstrip. The airplane was powered by a Rotax 912 UL, 80 horsepower engine. The engine had accumulated about 100 hours when the pilot purchased it with an additional 2 hours since it was installed on the accident airplane. On the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
On October 16, 2003, at 1800 central daylight time, an experimental amateur built Croke Zenith CH 701, N701US, collided with trees during a forced landing one-quarter mile from the pilot's private airstrip following a go-around from runway 18 (1,000 feet by 20 feet, grass) in Brussels, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight originated from the private airstrip at 1730.
The pilot reported that after a local flight he returned to the airstrip to land. He stated he was not happy with the approach so he initiated a go-around from an altitude of about 15 feet above the ground. He reported the engine only produced about 4,000 rpm instead of the normal 5,300 rpm when he applied full power. The pilot reported he was unable to sustain a climb with the reduced power and the airplane settled into trees in a wooded area off the south end of the airstrip.
The airplane was powered by a Rotax 912 UL, 80 horsepower engine. The engine had accumulated about 100 hours when the pilot purchased it with an additional 2 hours since it was installed on the accident airplane.
On the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N701US
- Reported as
- Croke Zenith CH 701
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-4514
- Engine
- Rotax 912 UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jonathon P. Croke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- January 1, 2002
- Departed
- PVT · Brussels, WI
- Destination
- PVT
- Airport
- PVT, runway 18, 1,000 × 20 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 235 total · 75 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- GRB, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N701US · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.