HILDALE, UT, USA
UNREG
QUICKSILVER MXL2
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE UNCERTIFIED PILOT HAD JUST FUELED THE AIRPLANE WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACHED HIM AND ASKED FOR A RIDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED TAKING OFF FROM A DIRT ROAD IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA. THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED FLIGHT JUST ABOVE THE GROUND, UNTIL IT REACHED THE END OF THE ROAD, WHERE A FENCE WAS CLEARED. THE AIRPLANE THEN BEGAN TO GAIN ALTITUDE. TEN MINUTES LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN IN A STEEP RIGHT TURN APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE AERODYNAMICALLY STALLED IN THE TURN. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED WHILE IN THE TURN AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO THE GROUND IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 2 HOURS OF INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, AND A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF TEN HOURS. ANOTHER PILOT WHO HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE, REPORTED THE AIRPLANE'S WEIGHT AND PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES WERE EXCEEDED WITH THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF THE TWO OCCUPANTS AND FULL FUEL.
On March 13, 1995, at 1640 mountain standard time, an unregistered Quicksilver MXL2 airplane, operated by the owner/pilot, impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent and was destroyed in Hildale, Utah. The uncertified pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to the Colorado City Police Department report and witness statements, the accident site was located on an open field designed for residential construction. Unimproved roads cross the fields. The responding police officer reported that the aluminum tubing of the structure was "totally disfigured." Witnesses in the area reported that the pilot had flown into the area and landed on a dirt road which runs through an industrial area. The pilot then taxied to a business to fuel the aircraft. After fueling, the passenger, who is a relative of the pilot, asked for a ride. Witnesses stated that the aircraft, with both occupants on board, taxied back to the end of the dirt road. Some of the witnesses stated that the pilot was checking the road and had not applied full power. Other witnesses stated that the engine sounded "choppy" and that this was an attempted take off. The aircraft was then taxied to the end of the road and took off to the west. Witnesses stated that as the aircraft was just lifting off, a truck leaving one of the businesses had pulled out, then backed up when the driver saw the airplane. The aircraft wing missed the truck by approximately one foot. The aircraft continued just off the ground for 4/10 of a mile until it reached the fence at the end of the road, then it began to gain altitude. The aircraft flew out over the town and then returned to the area of departure. Witnesses stated that at this time, the aircraft was losing altitude when it entered "a right hand turn, stalled in the turn and dropped quickly to the ground." The witnesses estimated that the aircraft was at 100 to 200 feet above the ground when it "stalled." The aircraft had been airborne for approximately 10 minutes. A statement in the police report indicates that another pilot, who had flown the aircraft, reported that with full fuel tanks and the combined weight of both occupants, approximately 360 pounds, the aircraft was underpowered. The report states that the maneuvering speed of the aircraft is 64 miles per hour (mph). The witnesses reported that the aircraft was travelling approximately 30 mph just before the accident. The listed stall speed is 33 mph. The aircraft speedometer gauge was found at the accident site and read 31 mph. After the accident, a local airframe and powerplant mechanic inspected the engine and reported no apparent mechanical failures or malfunctions. Neither the aircraft and/or either occupant were registered with the United States Ultralight Association or the Experimental Aircraft Association for flight instruction. A friend to the pilot reported that the aircraft had been purchased from an individual who gave the pilot approximately two hours of instructional flight at the time of purchase. The friend stated that the pilot had accumulated approximately ten hours of total flight time. An autopsy and toxicological analysis were performed on the pilot by Dr. Edward L Leis, M.D., Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 14, 1995. The report of toxicology is attached.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE BANKING THE AIRPLANE. THIS LED TO AN UNRECOVERABLE AERODYNAMIC STALL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT EXCEEDING THE AIRPLANE'S WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITATIONS, AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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