- Date
- November 23, 2012, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- King George, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N79VRRadley Vincent Quicksilver Sport 2S
- Defining event
- Taxi: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121123025459A
- Case key
- 85658
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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during taxi.
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 pilot said that he was taxiing the light sport airplane on his private property, and when he added power as he taxied up a hill, the airplane was hit by a gust of wind. The airplane then turned left, traveled down an embankment and struck a tree, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. About the time of the accident, wind velocity was recorded at an airport approximately 10 miles away at 4 knots. A photograph of the accident site that was taken about 1/2 hour after the accident showed a large body of water in the background with small surface ripples and intermittent calm areas, indicative of wind speeds up to about 6 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported to a state trooper that he was taxiing the light sport airplane on his private property to take off on a local flight. According to the pilot, he added power, and as he taxied the airplane up a hill, it was hit by a gust of wind. The airplane then turned left, traveled down an embankment and struck a tree, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. About the time of the accident, wind velocity was recorded at an airport approximately 10 miles away at 4 knots. A state trooper photograph, taken about ½ hour after the accident, had a large body of water in the background of the crash site with small surface ripples and intermittent calm areas, indicative of winds up to about 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79VR
- Reported as
- Radley Vincent Quicksilver Sport 2S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0249
- Engine
- HKS 700e, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Radley Vincent
- Registered owner
- Radley Vincent
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NA · King George, VA
- Destination
- NA · King George, VA
- Airport
- NA · Private Strip
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KEZF, 10 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 4, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.