Accident Overview
On April 30, 2024, at 1418 eastern daylight time, a Zodiac CH-601 HDS airplane, registration N6271F, was destroyed in an accident near Bristol, Indiana. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight History
According to the pilot's wife, the pilot and passenger intended to fly to Branch County Memorial Airport (OEB) in Coldwater, Michigan, for lunch, then return to Elkhart Municipal Airport (EKM) in Elkhart, Indiana, where the airplane was hangared. She stated that this was a popular flight for the pilot, who usually returned within three hours.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated that the airplane departed EKM at 1152 and landed at OEB at 1225. The return flight departed OEB at 1339 and proceeded southwest at a cruise altitude of about 4,500 ft mean sea level (MSL) and a true airspeed of about 80 knots. At 14:15:44, the airplane began a descent and continued west toward EKM. Over the next two minutes, the true airspeed increased to about 110 knots with an average descent rate of about 600 feet per minute. At 14:17:44, the airplane entered a steep descent, with airspeed increasing to about 120 knots and the descent rate exceeding 7,000 feet per minute. The final ADS-B data point was recorded at 14:18:05 at an altitude of 1,836 ft MSL (1,072 ft AGL), approximately 7 nautical miles east of EKM and about 400 ft east of the accident site.
Witness Accounts
One witness reported that the airplane flew overhead from east to west and then entered a nosedive. The engine sounded as though it was "cutting in and out" and was not producing a consistent sound during the descent. The airplane impacted the ground with a "loud boom." At the accident site, there was a strong smell of fuel but no smoke or fire. This witness and his uncle, who did not observe the accident, ran to the site to attempt to render aid.
Another witness stated that she was outside her house facing southeast when she heard the airplane behind her. She turned and saw the airplane descending straight down. She thought she saw the top of the airplane because she did not notice any wheels. She did not observe smoke or fire from the airplane. The engine was very loud and continued to operate until impact, which sounded like a loud explosion.
Examination of the Wreckage
The airplane impacted trees and terrain in a near-vertical attitude and nosed over. The left wing exhibited crushing to the leading edge, and the outboard half was bent aft. The right wing sustained impact damage and hydraulic deformation to the inboard leading edge near the fuel tank; the outboard two feet were bent aft from ground impact. Control cables for the elevator and rudder were traced from the control surfaces to the cockpit, with cuts near the rear fuselage made by first responders during extraction. Aileron control cables were continuous from the cockpit to the aileron bellcrank. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall and was crushed into the cockpit, sustaining significant impact damage to the front and rear accessories. The case and cylinders remained intact, with no holes or signs of catastrophic failure. The wooden propeller blades were shattered and dispersed around the accident area.
The airplane has been retained for further examination.