- Date
- May 5, 2017, 07:20 local (11:20 UTC)
- Place
- Arecibo, PR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N228KMQuicksilver Manufacturing SPORT2S R582
- Defining event
- Enroute: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170505004069A
- Case key
- 95116
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 see and avoid trees during low-altitude flight.
Findings · 3
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 in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft reported that he was performing a maintenance flight about 40 ft above ground level. He recalled that he remained in the pattern and that he was in a level flight profile when the left wing struck a tree. The aircraft fell to the ground and sustained substantial damage to the left wing strut and trailing edge tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the weight-shift-controlled aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft reported that he was performing a maintenance flight about 40 ft. above ground level. He recalled that he remained in the pattern and he was in a level flight profile when the left wing struck a tree. The aircraft fell to the ground and sustained substantial damage to the left wing strut and trailing edge tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the weight-shift-controlled aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N228KM
- Reported as
- Quicksilver Manufacturing SPORT2S R582 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0142
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 361
- Engine
- Rotax 582 UL, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 2, 2017
- Departed
- ABO · Arecibo, PR
- Destination
- ABO · Arecibo, PR
- Airport
- ABO · Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airp, runway 08, 3,963 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 2, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,315 total · 40 in this make and model · 1,315 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- TJIG, 33 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.