- Date
- December 18, 2011, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Loreauville, LA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N61202Quicksilver MXL II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 8, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Baton Rouge FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111218029899A
- Case key
- 82606
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that the airplane’s airspeed was “pretty slow” and that he was flying about 200 feet above ground level when he entered a sudden steep left turn. He did not add power as he entered the turn and likely used too much aileron. During the turn, the airplane stalled, entered a spin, and impacted the ground in a steep nose-down attitude. The impact caused substantial damage to all structural components of the airplane. The student pilot said he had about 5 hours of experience in the accident airplane and had not received any flight instruction in this make and model airplane. The passenger was not a pilot. In addition, the student pilot stated that he thought the accident would not have occurred if he had maintained a higher airspeed and had been at a higher altitude.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported he was “pretty slow” and flying about 200 feet above ground level when he entered a sudden steep left turn. The student pilot did not add power as he entered the turn and said he probably used too much aileron. During the turn the airplane suddenly entered a spin and impacted the ground in a steep nose down attitude. The impact caused substantial damage to all structural components of the airplane. The student pilot said he had about five hours of experience in the accident airplane and had not received any flight instruction in that type. In addition the student pilot stated he thought the cause of the accident was pilot error and that he should have kept a higher airspeed and been at a higher altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61202
- Reported as
- Quicksilver MXL II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MXL II SPORT 000870
- Airframe hours
- 157
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 31, 2007 · 156 hours before
- Departed
- Loreauville, LA
- Destination
- Loreauville, LA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 34 total · 5 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KARA, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 19, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.