Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper glidepath, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he completed two landings uneventfully. During the third approach, the airplane was high, and the pilot attempted to recover the approach while maintaining an airspeed of 60 mph. The airplane developed a high sink rate and landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded about 50 ft before coming to rest upright on the runway. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA222 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- May 5, 2022
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Culpepper, Virginia
- Nearest airport
- Culpeper Regional Airport (CJR)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built ZENITH STOL CH 701
- N-number
- N701VX
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2022
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.