19980812038379I

Incident · Destroyed

FAA incident report · Qckslv GT500 · Wausau, WI · August 12, 1998

Date: August 12, 1998 · 20:00 local
Place: Wausau, WI
Airport: Wausau Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: NONE
Reported as: Qckslv GT500
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 422 total61 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) Rated pilot operated an unregistered aircraft on a pleasure flight with one passenger. On first takeoff from runway 30, Wausau downtown airport,Wausau, WI the engine failed at an altitude between 300 and 500 feet AGL. The pilot attempted a 180 degree turn to return to the departure runway. During the left turn the aircraft entered a stall/spin from which the pilot could not recover. Aircraft impacted the ground south of and about 1400 feet from the departure end of the runway. Investigation did not determine reason for engine stoppage. Aircraft had fuel, samples of which were clear and free of water and other obvious contaminants. Investigators were able to start and run the engine for a period of time. The pilot, seated in the rear seat, sustained serious injuries. The front seat passenger received fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) RATED PILOT OPERATED AN UNREGISTERED AIRCRAFT ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER. ON FIRST TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 30, WAUSAU DOWNTOWN AIRPORT,WAUSAU, WI THE ENGINE FAILED AT AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 300 AND 500 FEET AGL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DURING THE LEFT TURN THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL/SPIN FROM WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT RECOVER. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SOUTH OF AND ABOUT 1400 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE REASON FOR ENGINE STOPPAGE. AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL, SAMPLES OF WHICH WERE CLEAR AND FREE OF WATER AND OTHER OBVIOUS CONTAMINANTS. INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO START AND RUN THE ENGINE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE PILOT, SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.