- Date
- July 2, 2012, 19:45 local (Jul 3, 2012, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Manvel, ND
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGEipper Quicksilver
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- Case key
- 84232
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 non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a wheat field.
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 non-certificated pilot said that he had been flying his unregistered aircraft too low over a wheat field. He stated that he encountered a "thermal" and that the aircraft’s nosewheel caught in the wheat, causing the airplane to nose over and impact the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage structure. About 8 minutes after the accident occurred, the wind was reported as being from 320 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot said that he had been flying his unregistered aircraft too low over a wheat field. He encountered a "thermal" and his nose wheel "caught" in the wheat, causing the aircraft to nose over and impact terrain. There was substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage structure. The wind conditions about eight minutes after the of accident occurred were reported 320 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Eipper Quicksilver (MX II)
- Category
- Ultralight
- Serial number
- UNKNOWN
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael S. Callahan
- Registered owner
- Michael S. Callahan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Manvel, ND
- Destination
- NONE · Manvel, ND
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.65 inHg
- Observed at
- KGFK
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 447 KB in all.