N9066FPaul Gaywood E CH 601 HD · 2004

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.