Event WPR17LA194

Factual narrative

On August 26, 2017, at 0815 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built CH601 HD airplane, N9066F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Goldendale, Washington. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that the day before the accident, he had found “bad” fuel, and he subsequently drained all the fuel from the airplane and refueled it. He then performed extensive ground runs of the engine and believed that the issue was resolved. On the day of the accident, he checked the fuel for water twice, but no water was present when he sumped the gascolator. He performed a ground run with no discrepancies, shut down the engine and checked for leaks; there were none. Following an engine run-up that revealed no anomalies, he initiated a takeoff, and about 75 ft above the ground, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to an area of rocky, uneven terrain, during which the left wing sustained substantial damage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane and engine and did not find any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The day before the accident, the pilot identified contaminated fuel. He de-fueled the airplane, refueled it with 100 low-lead aviation fuel, and then extensively ground run the engine with no issues noted. The day of the accident, he performed another ground run, shut down the engine and checked for leaks, and then prepared for the accident flight. About 75 ft above ground level during the initial climb, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to rocky, uneven terrain, during which the left wing sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine and did not find any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined