Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB ERA13LA136
QUICKSILVER MX2 — Poplarville, MS
| Date | February 17, 2013 |
| Location | Poplarville, MS |
| Aircraft | QUICKSILVER MX2 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 50 |
| Pilot total time | Unknown |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Alcohol-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-(general)-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Total experience-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome
What happened
The noncertificated pilot was conducting his first flight in the unregistered experimental airplane, which he purchased several months before the accident. No logbook entries were found indicating whether the pilot had previous flight experience. The pilot flew the airplane for about 30 minutes near his home before making a low pass over a field about 50 feet above ground level. Witnesses heard the engine power increase as the airplane approached a line of trees and then observed the left wing contact a tree top and the airplane subsequently impact the ground.
A witness reported that the pilot had been consuming alcohol on the day of the accident. Results from toxicological testing indicated the presence of alcohol in the pilot's blood; however, the amount of ethanol detected in the blood was lower than the level that the Federal Aviation Administration has determined pilots may fly, although any amount of ethanol may be impairing. In addition, toxicological testing found narcotic pain medications in the pilot's urine and other tissues; however, none of these narcotics were found in the pilot's blood, which suggests that the pilot likely used narcotics several days before the accident. Therefore, the extent of the pilot's impairment due to use of alcohol and narcotic medications could not be determined.