Quicksilver Aeronautics L-S2S N14QK

Summary

On 17 February 2025 at about 20:20 local time, a Quicksilver Aeronautics L-S2S registered N14QK was involved in an accident near Geyserville, California, United States. 2 people were 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

17 February 2025 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Geyserville, California, United States

Coordinates

38.7178, -122.8871

Aircraft

Quicksilver Aeronautics L-S2S

Registration

N14QK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cloverdale → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA095

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to secure the coolant cap during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to overheating and a subsequent forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise flight, the pilot reported that he noticed a temperature alarm, and a short time later, the engine sustained a complete loss of power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a dirt road located in a vineyard. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right and struck a pole, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. A postaccident inspection of the aircraft revealed a missing cooling system expansion tank cap and a low coolant level. The piston faces also showed high heat signatures from red discoloration and scoring along the cylinder walls. The pilot reported that he removed the cooling system tank cap during the preflight inspection to check the water level and did not re-secure it. During the flight, the engine likely lost cooling fluid and overheated, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.