What happened
On July 12, 2025, at approximately 12:50 mountain daylight time, a Zenith CH601 HDS, registration N314LB, crashed in the Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
The aircraft departed Rexburg-Madison Airport in Rexpend, Idaho, early that morning and landed at Central Wyoming Regional Airport (RIW) in Riverton, Wyoming, for refueling. The pilot then departed RIW, intending to fly to Goodland, Kansas, for an overnight stay.
ADS-B data indicates the aircraft was traveling on a southeast heading before turning south and beginning a descent during the final 90 seconds of recorded flight. A witness at the site observed the airplane in a wings-level, nose-low attitude with the engine appearing to be at full throttle. The witness noted that the pitch attitude did not change as the aircraft approached the ground. The airplane struck the ground, bounced twice, and came to rest in an upright position.
The accident occurred on a sloping prairie approximately 24 nm northeast of Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY). The debris field measured roughly 475 feet long and 125 feet wide. The initial impact occurred on a magnetic heading of approximately 240°, and the wreckage traveled to a final position on a magnetic heading of 305°.
There was 1 fatality resulting from the accident.
The investigation
Investigators examined the control systems and found that control cable continuity was maintained from the elevator to the control stick, with a full range of motion achieved. Both the elevator control cable and the elevator balance cable remained intact and connected to the control stick. The rudder cables remained attached to the rudder fairleads, though they had been impact-separated from the rudder pedals; full range of rudder motion was confirmed.
The aileron cables were traced back to the control stick, and full aileron travel was achieved. While the wings remained attached to the fuselage, both wings were partially separated from the wing roots and exhibited leading-edge crush damage. A portion of the right wing was found within the debris field.
The aircraft was equipped with three fuel tanks: one in each wing and a center tank behind the instrument panel. While fuel was present in both wing tanks, both were breached, preventing an accurate measurement of the fuel level at the time of the crash. The amount of fuel in the center tank was also unmeasured.