Quicksilver MX SPRINT II N702U

Summary

On 8 March 2012 at about 21:11 local time, a Quicksilver MX SPRINT II registered N702U, operated by Donald Carr, was involved in an accident near Willits, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 March 2012 at 21:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Willits, California, United States

Coordinates

39.6669, -123.5906

Aircraft

Quicksilver MX SPRINT II

Registration

N702U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald Carr

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ft Bragg → Willits

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA126

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.