- Date
- June 24, 2015, 19:20 local (Jun 25, 2015, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Ute, IA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- UNREGQuicksilver MXL II Sport
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Des Moines FSDO (FAA)
- Case key
- 91446
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 sufficient airspeed to prevent an inadvertent aerodynamic stall, and impact with terrain.
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 pilot reported that the accident flight was his first flight in an experimental amateur built airplane, and he planned to complete one circuit in the traffic pattern. He said he remembered that during the final approach to land, he saw power lines which crossed the approach path, and a building, which he wanted to stay above. He also encountered a crosswind. He did not remember anything further. A witness who observed the flight from the ground, reported that as the airplane approached the runway, he saw the airplane climb to clear the wires, but then the airplane descended and "fell out of the air," impacting the ground almost vertically. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During a post-flight examination, substantial damage was found along the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the accident flight was his first flight in an experimental amateur built airplane, and he planned to complete one circuit in the traffic pattern. He said he remembered that during the final approach to land, he saw power lines which crossed the approach path, and a building, which he wanted to stay above. He also encountered a crosswind. He did not remember anything further. A witness who observed the flight from the ground, reported that as the airplane approached the runway, he saw the airplane climb to clear the wires, but then the airplane descended and "fell out of the air," impacting the ground almost vertically. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During a post-flight examination, substantial damage was found along the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Quicksilver MXL II Sport
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 955
- Built
- 2013
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Departed
- None · Ute, IA
- Destination
- None · Ute, IA
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 0.3 in this make and model · 74 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KDNS, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 661 KB in all.