- Date
- December 22, 2019, 09:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Mayaguez, PR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N211RREipper Quicksilver
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20191222019829A
- Case key
- 100732
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's inadvertent movement of the fuel shutoff switch to the “off” position while attempting to take a picture of himself, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a subsequent ditching in open water.
Findings · 4
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 solo student pilot reported that, while attempting to take a picture of himself, he accidentally moved the fuel shutoff switch to the "off" position, which resulted in a loss of all engine power. He ditched the airplane onto open water and was rescued by boaters. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and the structural tubing of the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, while attempting to take a picture of himself, he accidentally moved the fuel shutoff switch to the OFF position. The engine experienced a complete loss of power. He initiated a forced landing onto open water and was rescued by boaters. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and the structural tubing of the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N211RR
- Reported as
- Eipper Quicksilver (MXII)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0631
- Built
- 2003
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Mayaguez, PR
- Destination
- Mayaguez, PR
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- TJBQ, 17 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 27, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 858 KB 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.