"David O" wrote in message
...
(DL152279546231) wrote:


Specifically, I wonder how many Zenith CH 701's (STOL) are flying and
what has
their accident history been?

Anthony
Memphis TN


Anthony,

Chris Heintz and his Zenith aircraft designs have an excellent
reputation in the homebuilt community. The Zenith Aircraft Company
web site claims over 500 CH 701 flying throughout the world. The FAA
registry database shows 151 registered in the USA but those would only
be ones in which the builder chose to include "701" in the aircraft
make description. Remember, the builder *is* the manufacturer and can
put in anything for manufacturer and model on the FAA registration
form.

The NTSB accident database has 11 reports (plus one preliminary) for
aircraft with "701" in the model field. Pull them up and you'll see
that they are all clearly Zenith CH 701. Below, I've summarized those
accidents and I've also added engine make/model and pilot hours
information that is not included in the NTSB web site reports. The
only accident that remotely suggests a problem with the Zenith CH 701
design is the 4-03-90 accident ("inadequate fuel drain design").
Reading between the lines, however, I doubt that there was truly a
problem with the fuel drain. On the other hand, if there was indeed a
problem with *Zenith's* fuel drain design I'm confident that Zenith
would have addressed and fixed the problem long ago. After all, that
accident occurred some 14 years ago.

David O -- http://www.AirplaneZone.com

------

7-10-03 - Suzuki 993cm (four stroke, water cooled, three cyl, auto
engine) - The flight was to be a pre purchase test flight. The pilot
was the prospective purchaser. The pilot said the engine faltered
after takeoff. The owner said pilot faltered.

Good reason not to let someone else fly your airplane. We have a trike at
a local airport with this engine. It is flown regularly by the owner who
installed it.

6/6/03 - Cont A-75 - Engine failure. The pilot/builder stated, "...
engine quit because a jet came loose in the carburetor".

Most likely this was the result of someone's carelessness. The Stromberg
carburetor, which is usually fitted to the A-75 Continental, has a main jet
which will come loose and starve the mixture when it has not been
safety-wired.

There are quite a few accidents in the literature attributable to the loose
Stromberg jet, which someone has been tampering with, in an effort to set
the float level --- and then neglected to safety the jet.