[chris]

On March 10, 2023, an amateur-built single-engine Zenith Zodiac 601XL, N969WD, crashed near La Veta, Colorado. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and two people aboard had minor injuries.

The crash was caused by the pilot's decision to fly the airplane without experience in it during strong, gusting wind. The pilot failed to maintain proper airspeed, exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall.