Introduction
On December 14, 2018, at 0740 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Quicksilver MXL II, registration N350FT, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain near Shannon Airport (EZF) in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated at about 0738. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight History
Airport surveillance video showed the airplane taking off from runway 24 and following a flight path consistent with the upwind and crosswind legs of the traffic pattern before exiting the camera's view. GPS track data from two recovered receivers depicted a ground track matching the video. The data showed the initial climb and crosswind leg were flown at about 50 knots groundspeed. The airplane reached a GPS altitude of 322 ft and a groundspeed of about 51 knots before beginning a left turn. The turn continued from the crosswind to downwind legs, tightening instead of paralleling the runway. The airplane descended to 285 ft and slowed to a groundspeed of 29 knots, its last recorded GPS position, at which point it was above the accident site.
An airframe-mounted video camera recorded taxi and departure. Engine sounds indicated smooth running with multiple power changes. During initial climb, throttle was reduced from climb power, then increased back for upwind and crosswind legs. As the airplane turned toward downwind, the throttle was reduced, increased briefly, then reduced again to a sound consistent with idle. The video showed the airplane continuing in a tightening, steepening left turn with the engine at idle. Just before ground impact, a "pop" sound consistent with activation of the ballistic recovery system (BRS) parachute was recorded.
Aircraft Information
The Quicksilver MXL II was manufactured from a kit and had a high-wing, tubular-framed, open-cockpit configuration. The Rotax 582, 64-horsepower engine was mounted above the wing, driving a fixed-pitch propeller in pusher configuration. The published stall speed (Vs) was 32 mph (27 knots); a placard on the accident airplane listed 27 mph (24 knots). The pilot purchased the airplane from the builder in September 2018. He had enclosed the cockpit using zip ties to attach a PVC tubing frame, with plexiglass sheets forming the windshield and hinged doors on both sides. The digital tachometer and hourmeter indicated 411 aircraft hours at the scene. Maintenance records were not recovered; the previous owner reported the most recent conditional inspection was completed in May 2018, when the hourmeter showed 407 hours.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. According to his logbook, he had 342.4 total flight hours, with the most recent logged flight on September 10, 2018, in a Diamond DA-20. He had not logged any flight experience in the accident airplane.
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane came to rest nose-down on flat terrain. The wreckage path was 27 ft long, oriented on a magnetic heading of 115°. The BRS parachute was partially deployed, attached by a steel cable that had multiple wraps around the engine driveshaft and propeller flange. The expended rocket and deployment bag were 105 ft northwest of the main wreckage. Both wings rested on their leading edges, uniformly crushed chordwise. The tail, elevators, and rudder were intact and mostly undamaged, with the empennage tubing bent forward over the cockpit. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The engine was largely undamaged; the wooden propeller was shattered, with fragments showing damage consistent with the BRS cable. Engine examination found carburetor float bowls with internal corrosion and debris, and obstructed vent lines. After replacing fuel lines (due to age), the engine started and ran smoothly at multiple power settings in a test stand. No preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were identified.
The Virginia Department of Health performed an autopsy and determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. FAA toxicology tests were negative for carbon monoxide, drugs, and alcohol.