There Was No Record Of Any (Pilot) Experience In The Accident Airplane Make And Model

Location: Cleveland, GA Accident Number: ERA24FA221
Date & Time: May 20, 2024, 08:42 Local Registration: N960B
Aircraft: Radley Vincent Quicksilver Sport 2S Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Flight test

On May 20, 2024, about 0842 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Quicksilver Sport 2S, N960B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cleveland, Georgia. The sport pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight.

According to the owner of the airplane, he transported it via ground to the sport pilot/light sport aircraft repairman’s facility at Mountain Airpark (0GE5), Cleveland, Georgia. The sport pilot/repairman performed maintenance, which included replacing the fabric, replacing a throttle cable, and performing an annual condition inspection. The accident flight was a post maintenance test flight. Although the sport pilot owned a Zenith CH 701, he had never flown the make and model accident airplane. The owner added that due to the short tail, the accident airplane lacked rudder effectiveness at slow airspeed and was subject to left turning tendencies (p-factor).

Review of airport security video revealed that the airplane attempted to takeoff on the north runway. Immediately after liftoff, the airplane turned left about 90°. The engine noise decreased, and the airplane appeared to momentarily come under control; however, it was flying toward the front of a hangar. The engine nose increased again, and the airplane cleared the hangar, but as it climbed in a left turn it abruptly descended behind the hangar and impacted the ground.

The wreckage came to rest nose-up and upright and oriented toward the east in a grass area behind the hangar. The entirety of the airplane was accounted for at the accident site, and no debris path was observed. The empennage remained intact and was canted left. The elevator remained attached and was deflected upward. Elevator control continuity was confirmed via crushed push-pull tubes to the cockpit. The elevator trim tab remained attached to the right elevator and was in an approximate neutral position. Continuity of the elevator trim cable was confirmed to the cockpit. The rudder remained attached and was deflected left. The left rudder cable remained attached from the rudder to the left rudder pedal. The right rudder cable separated near the right rudder pedal and one cable end exhibited broomstraw features. The separated cable ends were retained for metallurgical examination.

The wings remained attached, and the left wing outboard leading edge exhibited impact damage. Both ailerons remained attached to their respective wing and control cable continuity was confirmed from the ailerons to the cockpit control stick. The cockpit was crushed, but the pilot’s four-point harness remained intact. A Grand Rapids Technology Engine Information System 2000 was retained for data download. A plastic fuel tank was mounted above the cockpit. It remained intact with its fuel cap secured and contained about ¼-tank of automotive gasoline.

The airplane had been assembled from a kit in 2011 and was powered by the Rotax 582, twostroke, two-cylinder, 64-hp reciprocating engine, driving an Aerolux three-blade ground adjustable composite propeller. The engine rotated the pusher propeller right, as seen from the rear of the airplane. When the propeller was moved by hand, continuity was of the powertrain confirmed throughout the engine. All three propeller blades remained attached to the hub. Two blades were undamaged, and one was separated near the root, consistent with contact to the crushed tubular frame.

The aircraft logbooks were not initially recovered. The current owner had purchased the airplane in December 2019. Review of the sport pilot’s logbook revealed that he had accumulated about 900 hours of flight experience; however, there was no record of any experience in the accident airplane make and model.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov