No fatalities

19 Nov 2017: QUICKSILVER MXL SPORT NO SERIES — Point Mugu, CA

Point Mugu, CA, United States

On 19 Nov 2017, a QUICKSILVER MXL SPORT NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Point Mugu, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power wires. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported striking power wires during a descent while following an instructional flight in an area of known wires, resulting in substantial fuselage damage. No mechanical issues were noted.

Accident Summary

A pilot reported that, while following a friend performing an instructional flight, the other aircraft motioned to indicate that the student pilot had taken the flight controls. In response, the pilot broke away to the right. He then began a descent in an area known to contain power wires. According to the pilot, in his mind's eye he believed he had already passed the second of two sets of power wires. However, the airplane struck the power wires at eye level and subsequently impacted terrain.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage during the accident sequence.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operationAwareness of condition