# NTSB ERA26LA303: Mcfarland Larry C Zenith 601 HDS, N601EZ, Ripley Landing, WV, August 15, 2026 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report - Date: August 15, 2026, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Ripley Landing, WV - Coordinates: 38.91285, -81.81371 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9128&lon=-81.8137&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Investigation ongoing - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 203608 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA303 - NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203608/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA303 ## Preliminary report On August 15, 2026, about 1300 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Zenith 601 HDS airplane, N601EZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ripley Landing, West Virginia. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed Jackson County Airport, Ravenswood, West Virginia (I18), with the intention of practicing touch and go landings at the airport. The pilot reported that during the left turn onto the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned the airplane towards the airport but did not have enough altitude to glide to it. The pilot made an emergency off field landing in a tree clearing about 1.2 miles south-southeast of the airport. Upon touchdown, the nose gear impacted terrain, the airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot was trapped under the wreckage until the following day when he was located by first responders about 0900. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05615XG), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05615XG), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05615XG), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=05615XG), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05615XG), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N601EZ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N601EZ), registered now, S/N 6-4117, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCFARLAND LARRY C ZENITH 601 HDS - Registry model: [Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcfarland-larry-c-zenith-601-hds) (registry code 05615XG) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 6-4117 - Year built: 2004 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: I18, Ravenswood, WV - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: I18, Jackson County, runway 22, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,200 ft overcast - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: PKB, 31 nm away - METAR: METAR KPKB 151653Z 00000KT 10SM OVC012 25/21 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP222 T02500206= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20260815009439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260815009439A), Aug 15, 2026: Mcfarland Larry C ZENITH 601 HDS, Ravenswood, WV, Substantial damage. Aircraft took off from Jackson County (I18) on 8/16/2026 around 1300 local time. Aircraft turned downwind in pattern and lost ignition as stated by the pilot.… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.