Willits, CA, USA
N702U
QUICKSILVER MX SPRINT II
The accident flight was the student pilot's first solo flight in the airplane and second flight overall. He had no flight experience prior to operating this airplane. The pilot reported that he was attempting to land on a private dirt strip when the airplane encountered a tailwind that quickly dropped him down 25 feet into the terrain. The right wing clipped several treetops, and the airplane crashed 20 feet short of the dirt strip. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
On March 8, 2012, at 1311 Pacific standard time, a Quicksilver MX Sprint II, N702U, impacted a hillside near Willits, California. The student pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Fort Bragg, California, about 1245. The student pilot stated to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector (FAA) who arrived on-scene that this was his first solo flight in the airplane and second flight overall. He had no flight experience prior to operating this airplane. The pilot said that he encountered a tail wind that quickly dropped him down 25 feet into the terrain as he was attempting to land. The FAA inspector reported that the right wing hit several treetops before the airplane crashed 20 feet short of the dirt strip that the pilot was attempting to land on. Damage to the airplane included bent and buckled aluminum tubes that form the tail structure, and damage to the forward airframe tubes that support the nose wheel. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures during the flight. The pilot of the California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR) helicopter that responded to the accident (but did not land) reported that there was no wind at the time of his dispatch. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1/2.
The student pilot did not maintain an adequate approach/glide path and altitude, which resulted in a runway undershoot and subsequent collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's lack of flight experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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