Quicksilver MXL II accident near Hesperia, CA
On March 7, 2017, a Quicksilver MXL II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hesperia, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 7, 2017
- Place
- Hesperia, CA
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver MXL II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.375°N, 117.319°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170308X22148
Official records · WPR17FA074
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 7, 2017, at 1018 Pacific standard time, an unregistered experimental amateur-built Quicksilver MXL II collided with terrain after takeoff from Hesperia Airport, Hesperia, California. The pilot, who was operating with an expired student pilot certificate, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated by the pilot/builder as a test flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. According to friends of the pilot, the pilot had been performing multiple high-speed taxi tests in the airplane since its completion about 2 months before the accident. He reported to his friends that, during those tests, the airplane had been pulling to the left. About 1 month before the accident, he performed the first flight test; however, shortly after getting airborne, the airplane rolled left, departed the runway area, struck a hangar, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot then spent the next month repairing the damage and performing more high-speed taxi tests. On the day of the accident, a witness observed the pilot taxiing the airplane back and forth along the runway, before initiating a takeoff roll from runway 3. After rotation, the airplane climbed to about 50 ft above ground level (agl) while drifting to the left of the runway centerline. It continued in a shallow climbing left turn, and, after reaching about 100 ft agl, it transitioned to a 90° left roll. The nose of the airplane then dropped, and the air
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to identify and correct his construction error of a critical structural component, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to his combined use of multiple medications and illicit drugs, which led to his improper decision to attempt the flight despite evidence indicating that the error had not been
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Browse: California · Quicksilver aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
