Quicksilver SPORT 2S accident near Canton, Texas, April 9, 2010
On April 9, 2010, a Quicksilver SPORT 2S, registered N439MM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Canton, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane builder’s improper installation of the left rear wing strut eyebolt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2010 · cases in 2010
- Place
- Canton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver SPORT 2S · all SPORT 2Ss on the register
- Registration
- N439MM · no longer on the register · serial 0189
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in a turn at low altitude, the pilot of the open cockpit experimental airplane heard a “loud pop,” followed by a change in the feel of the flight controls. The pilot elected to reduce the engine power to idle and activate the ballistic recovery system (BRS). Seconds later the airplane impacted into an area of trees and came to rest in the trees near the ground. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing rear strut threaded eyebolt had pulled free from the threaded barrel of the wing strut. The thread-to-barrel engagement was measured at 5/32 of an inch with approximately 16 threads exposed. Per the manufacturer’s assembly manual, the eyebolt was to have a minimum of 5/8 of an inch thread-to-barrel engagement with approximately three-and-a-half threads exposed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1TA7 Canton TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: Canton TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 25, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Digital Photo 1, Rod End | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N439MM: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Quicksilver SPORT 2 27 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Quicksilver 138 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI 100 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Thompson Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,985 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10CA200.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.