# Accident 20260120002699A: Heimberger Norm QUICKSILVER II, Spring, TX, January 20, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 20, 2026, 16:58 local time
- Place: Spring, TX
- Airport: David Wayne Hooks Memorial
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.0572° N, 95.5515° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0572&lon=-95.5515&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4NH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4NH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Heimberger Norm QUICKSILVER II (registry code 05904OC, https://openairdocs.org/model/heimberger-norm-quicksilver-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI (registry code 55563, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ul-dcdi) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HEIMBERGER NORM QUICKSILVER II
- Reported engine: ROTAX 582UL DCDI
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 11,276 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN26LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA097) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260120002699A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE RUN FOR 15 MIN PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, INCLUDING WARMUP/RUNUP. THERMOSTAT OPEN AND RADIATOR WARM TO THE TOUCH. NORMAL OPERATING TEMP REACHED. DEPARTURE 17L PLANNED TRANSITION TO OPERATIONS ON THE SEALANE. BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST COMPLETED. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL 6500 RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IN THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED FOR A WATER LANDING AS PILOT WAS PLANNING TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN ON THE SEALANE (WATER RUNWAY) AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, THE ENGINE RAN VERY ROUGH LOST POWER /RPM FROM 6500 TO APPROXIMATELY 1800 RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FT. PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE THEN COMPLETED THE ENGINE FAILURE MEMORY ITEMS. THE FLIGHT CONTROL STICK BACKUP ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS PITCHED DOWN. THERE IS A CLUTCH ON THE GEARBOX, AND THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING. THE ROUNDOUT AND FLARE WERE COMPLICATED BY A HIGH SINK RATE. THE LANDING WAS WINGS LEVEL, PITCH SLIGHTLY NOSE UP, HARD, AND ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO THE GRASS AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE HOTEL TAXIWAY INTERSECTION. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE ENGINE POWER BEGAN COMING BACK, THEN FULL POWER AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND SECURED THE AIRCRAFT PER CHECKLIST.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN26LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA097), Jan 20, 2026: Quicksilver II (N4NH), Spring, TX, substantial damage, investigation ongoing

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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