Pilot Stated To First Responders That He Smelled Oil And The Cockpit Started To Fill With Smoke
On September 8, 2024, about 1207 central standard time, a Zenith Zodiac CH601 airplane, N9853M, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Columbia, Illinois. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was returning to Sackman Field Airport (IL91) in Columbia, Illinois, after suffering an apparent oil leak during a maintenance test flight.