Accident Zenith CH601 N601SA,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 283962
 
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Date:Thursday 1 October 2020
Time:14:00 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic CH60 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Zenith CH601
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N601SA
MSN: 6-6288
Year of manufacture:2019
Total airframe hrs:3 hours
Engine model:Aeromax (Azalea Aviation LLC) A100
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Burlington, Washington -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Test
Departure airport:Burlington, WA
Destination airport:Burlington, WA
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that he remained in the airport traffic pattern after departure and, while turning from base to final during landing, the engine lost total power. The airplane impacted terrain short of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot provided conflicting statements regarding which fuel tank was selected at the time of the accident, and also drained fuel from the tanks before the airplane was examined; therefore, the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not determined.
Examination of the fuel system confirmed continuity from each tank to the fuel selector. The exterior of the gascolator exhibited a green film that saturated the fuel line from the gascolator to the engine-driven fuel pump. The fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor was disconnected and purged. With the fuel selector in the right tank position, no fuel could be extracted from the fuel line. With the fuel selector in the left tank position, about 1 pint of a lime green-colored substance was purged from the fuel line. Examination of the throttle body also revealed the presence of the lime green substance. The liquid was consistent with 100LL aviation fuel; however, the lead content was higher than specification, which may have been the result of a lead-scavenging additive that the pilot used. The reason for its abnormal color could not be determined with the sample amount available.
The wreckage was released to the pilot, who reported that he tested the ignition system and suggested that a coil selector anomaly may have resulted in the loss of power. However, his test was incomplete and unconfirmed. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on available evidence. 

Probable Cause: The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: WPR21LA002
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB WPR21LA002

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Sep-2022 16:36 ASN Update Bot Added

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