Quicksilver MXL II N594TC

Summary

On 14 July 2018 at about 21:40 local time, a Quicksilver MXL II registered N594TC was involved in an accident near Arecibo, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2018 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Arecibo, United States

Nearest airport

Antonio/Nery/Juarbe Pol (ABO)

Coordinates

18.4553, -66.6631

Aircraft

Quicksilver MXL II

Registration

N594TC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arecibo → Arecibo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18TA193

1 person was seriously injured.

The noncertificated pilot's improper fuel planning and management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the local flight, the noncertificated pilot approached the airport for landing. During the approach, he performed a go-around, and the airplane encountered strong winds, so he decided to turn 180° to land on the opposite runway. While turning, about 1/2 mile from the runway, the engine lost total power, so the pilot landed the airplane straight ahead into marshy terrain in a nose-low attitude. The empennage and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The 6-gallon fuel tank was found empty, and the fuel cap was found secured to the tank. The pilot reported that the airplane departed with 5 gallons of fuel onboard for the flight, which was about 1 hour 10 minutes long, and the estimated fuel consumption for the airplane was between about 5.3 and 6 gallons per hour. It is likely that, during the go-around and maneuver to return to the airport, the fuel supply was exhausted, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.