History of Flight
On February 17, 2013, about 1530 central standard time, an unregistered experimental Quicksilver MX II airplane operated by a private individual was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Poplarville, Mississippi. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to acquaintances, the accident flight was the pilot's first flight in the airplane after purchasing it several months prior. The pilot had been working on the airplane for about a month before the accident and had recently performed taxi tests around his residence in a mobile home park. On the day of the accident, a witness observed the pilot taxi the airplane several times around the mobile home park. The witness stated that the wind would "pick him up and then he would settle back down." This witness also reported that the pilot had been seen consuming alcohol on the day of the accident.
The pilot took off from a field next to the mobile home park and flew for about 30 minutes. He then turned the airplane west, made a low pass over a field, waved to onlookers, and continued toward a tree line. A witness reported the airplane was about level with the treetops, estimated at 60 feet high. Witnesses observed the airplane's nose rise, then heard engine power increase. The left wing dropped and contacted a tree, and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground.
An FAA inspector reviewed a video of the accident flight filmed by an onlooker. The inspector stated that the airplane passed onlookers at an estimated altitude of 50 feet above ground level. After reaching a tree line, the nose began to pitch up, and the camera panned away. The engine could be heard increasing in power, followed by the sound of impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 50, did not possess a valid FAA airman certificate or medical certificate. The pilot's girlfriend reported that she could not locate a logbook or other record of the pilot's flight experience. One witness stated that the pilot had taken flight lessons.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine experimental airplane was powered by a Rotax 582, 65-horsepower reciprocating engine. The airplane did not contain an FAA airworthiness certificate, and no maintenance logs could be located.
Meteorological Information
The 1550 recorded weather observation at Stennis International Airport (HSA), Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, located 25 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 160 degrees at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, sky clear, temperature 14°C, dew point -1°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.27 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Photographs provided by the FAA showed the airplane came to rest inverted in a tilled garden surrounded by trees. The left wing remained intact, and the right wing was broken about mid-span. There was a chordwise tear in the cloth of the right wing about 3 feet in length.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on February 19, 2013, by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office listed the cause of death as "multiple blunt trauma." Toxicological testing revealed the presence of hydrocodone, dihydrocodeine, caffeine, nicotine, and 0.03% ethyl alcohol in the blood. Testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory revealed 0.009 µg/mL of buprenorphine in the liver and 39 µg/mL of hydrocodone in the urine. Buprenorphine and hydrocodone are narcotic pain medications marketed under the trade names Subutex and Vicodin, respectively. Testing also revealed 0.075 µg/mL of oxymetazoline in the liver, a nasal spray for congestion marketed as Afrin. Ethanol was detected in vitreous samples at 32 mg/dL.