- Date
- November 19, 2017, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Point Mugu, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7712Quicksilver MXL Sport
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171119019449A
- Case key
- 96359
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 power wires.
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 reported that, while following a friend performing an instructional flight, the other aircraft motioned to indicate that the student pilot had taken the flight controls, so he "broke away to the right." He added that he began a descent in an area of known power wires and "in [his] mind's eye, [he] had already [passed] the second of 2 sets" of power wires. He added that the airplane struck the power wires "at eye level" and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while following a friend performing an instructional flight, the other aircraft motioned to indicate that the student pilot had taken the flight controls, so he "broke away to the right". He added that he began a descent in an area of known power wires and "in [his] mind's eye, [he] had already [passed] the second of 2 sets" of power wires. He added that the airplane struck the power wires "at eye level" and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7712
- Reported as
- Quicksilver MXL Sport (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4606220
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 672
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 54 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 16, 2017
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Destination
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 28, 2017
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 651 total · 71 in this make and model · 651 as pilot in command · 0.8 in the last 90 days · 0.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KNTD, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.