Quicksilver MXL II Sport accident near Westminster, MD
On August 18, 2018, a Quicksilver MXL II Sport (airplane) was involved in an accident near Westminster, MD. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 18, 2018
- Place
- Westminster, MD
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver MXL II Sport · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.615°N, 77.048°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180818X33405
Official records · ERA18FA221
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 18, 2018, about 1040 eastern daylight time, a Quicksilver MXL II Sport light sport airplane, N105SE, was substantially damaged when it impacted a field near Baugher's Orchard Airport (07MD), Westminster, Maryland. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated about 1025 from 07MD. Witnesses at the airport reported that the flight departed normally, flew to the north, before returning and entering the final approach for landing. One witness (the 07MD manager) reported that, when the airplane was about ¼ to ½ mile from the runway, a loud "bang" was heard. One witness reported the sound as a "high pitch crack of something under stress." The 07MD manager provided the account of a witness who wanted to remain anonymous. This witness was looking directly at the accident airplane during its landing approach. The witness indicated that the loud "bang" was followed by the "upward folding" of the right wing, after which the airplane rolled to the right and descended. Another witness stated that the wing "broke" when the airplane was at an estimated altitude of 100 to 200 ft. The 07MD manager observed the airplane descending "straight down" while rotating to the right and noted that the airframe parachute "blew" just before impact. Two witnesses who were located about 2,100 ft south-southeast of the accident site reported hear
Probable cause
The in-flight fracture of a stainless steel bolt that was used to secure the upper and lower wing cables to the outer attach point at the leading edge spar of the right wing due to stress corrosion cracking, which caused the right wing to fail and precluded controlled flight. Contributing to the bolt failure was the installation of a bolt that did not conform with the company's specification.
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Browse: Maryland · 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.
