- Date
- October 14, 2013, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Orland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N75556Beller Quicksilver Mxlii
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Case key
- 88195
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 aircraft control during taxi with a strong gusting wind condition which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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 taxiing from landing, a strong gust of wind or thermal picked up the airplane which resulted in a nose over. Structural fuselage tubing and the right wing spar were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while taxiing from landing, a strong gust of wind or thermal picked up the airplane which resulted in a nose over. Structural fuselage tubing and the right wing spar were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75556
- Reported as
- Beller Quicksilver Mxlii (MXLII)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 81340
- Built
- 1989
- Airframe hours
- 370
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Freer Samuel M
- Registered owner
- Freer Samuel M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special); Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 19, 2013 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- Orland, CA
- Destination
- O37 · Orland, CA
- Airport
- O37 · Haigh Field
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 108 total · 108 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 335° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 15, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 301 KB in all.