Quicksilver MX II UNREG

Summary

On 21 September 2020 at about 17:00 local time, a Quicksilver MX II registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Marengo, Indiana, 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

21 September 2020 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Marengo, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

38.2902, -86.3526

Aircraft

Quicksilver MX II

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marengo → Marengo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA407

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane in conditions conducive to carburetor icing without a carburetor heating system, contrary to the engine manufacturer’s guidance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the flight before the accident flight, the pilot was in-bound to a grass trip. As he approached the grass strip, he advanced the throttle, but the engine did not respond with increased power. He stated that the circumstances were similar to other carburetor icing events that he had experienced. He landed the airplane on the grass strip without incident and shut down the engine. He was on the ground for about 30 minutes before he decided to fly the airplane back to his residence. He started the engine and departed without any issue. He circled the airplane above the strip several times at full power, then decreased the power and proceeded toward home. According to the pilot, he was about 500 ft and turning toward his destination when the engine power decreased and would not respond to throttle movements. He turned toward an emergency landing area and became “disoriented and clipped a tree.” A postaccident examination revealed that the engine was not equipped with a carburetor heating system. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the weather conditions at the accident site, the airplane was operating in an area that was conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power. It is likely that the engine experienced a loss of power due to carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.