19960713046529A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr Quicksilver · Taylorsville, MD · July 13, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 13, 1996 · 19:45 local
Place: Taylorsville, MD
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: NONE
Reported as: Amtr Quicksilver
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Witness stated pilot was observed flying aerobatically. During a manuever they saw a large portion of the wing separate from the ultralight at which time a high speed spiral into the ground resulted in fatal injuries to the pilot and destroyed the aircraft. During the investigation it was noted the ultralight was equipped with an auxillary fuel tank which is contrary to the FAR 103.1(e)(2) and places the ultralight into the circumstance that it must be certificated as an aircraft which it was not. Additionally, pilot john franklin harrison was not an FAA certificated airman. Note* the ultralight was equipped with a ballistic recovery system (brs) which was deployed but became fouled in the damaged vehicle.

As the FAA filed it

WITNESS STATED PILOT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AEROBATICALLY. DURING A MANUEVER THEY SAW A LARGE PORTION OF THE WING SEPARATE FROM THE ULTRALIGHT AT WHICH TIME A HIGH SPEED SPIRAL INTO THE GROUND RESULTED IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED THE ULTRALIGHT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUXILLARY FUEL TANK WHICH IS CONTRARY TO THE FAR 103.1(E)(2) AND PLACES THE ULTRALIGHT INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT IT MUST BE CERTIFICATED AS AN AIRCRAFT WHICH IT WAS NOT. ADDITIONALLY, PILOT JOHN FRANKLIN HARRISON WAS NOT AN FAA CERTIFICATED AIRMAN. NOTE* THE ULTRALIGHT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) WHICH WAS DEPLOYED BUT BECAME FOULED IN THE DAMAGED VEHICLE.