No fatalities

22 Dec 2019: Eipper QUICKSILVER MXII — Mayaguez, PR

Mayaguez, PR, United States

On 22 Dec 2019, an Eipper QUICKSILVER MXII was involved in an aviation accident near Mayaguez, PR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's accidental movement of the fuel shutoff switch to the off position while attempting to take a photograph, leading to engine power loss from fuel starvation and the subsequent ditching. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot experienced engine failure and ditched an Eipper Quicksilver into open water after accidentally moving the fuel shutoff switch.

What happened

On December 22, 2019, a student pilot operating an Eipper Quicksilver, registration N211RR, was flying near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 090 degrees at 8 knots.

While the pilot was attempting to take a photograph of himself, the fuel shutoff switch was accidentally moved to the OFF position. This action caused a complete loss of engine power. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing onto open water. The pilot sustained 1 minor injury and was not fatal.

Following the ditching, the pilot was rescued by boaters. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structural tubing and the wing.

Probable cause

The student pilot's accidental movement of the fuel shutoff switch to the off position while attempting to take a photograph, leading to engine power loss from fuel starvation and the subsequent ditching.

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotUnintentional use/operationFluid level