Quicksilver Sprint II accident near Lebanon, Illinois, May 19, 2012
On May 19, 2012 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Quicksilver Sprint II, registered N3521A, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lebanon, Illinois (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure of the crankshaft, attributed to the relative movement between the crankshaft and flywheel assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2012 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Lebanon, Illinois · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver Sprint II · all Sprint IIs on the register
- Registration
- N3521A · no longer on the register · serial A10KAS
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that there were no anomalies during the before-takeoff engine run-up or when he applied power for takeoff. He stated that during the initial climb, about 35 feet above the ground, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot reported that he reduced pitch in order to maintain airspeed but that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. The airplane immediately nosed over at impact, coming to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had fractured at the flywheel/crankshaft interface as a result of fatigue. The fracture originated from a single initiation point on the outer crankshaft surface that coincided with circumferential wear marks indicative of fretting. The observed wear marks matched those found on the flywheel and were likely the result of relative movement between the crankshaft and flywheel. The engine had accumulated 152.9 hours since new.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Roll over during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the engine
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 225 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 22, 2010
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 956 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 20, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,080 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3203 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Lebanon IL at 11:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Lebanon IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 980 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from KBLV, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on July 6, 2012. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 12-067 with 8 Embedded Images) | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Hirth Model 3203 Specifications Sheet | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airframe/engine Maintenance Logbook Information (Excerpts) | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Recreational Power Engineering Invoices for Hirth Model 3203 (S/n 900607) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Retained Evidence Return Form | 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
- N3521A: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Quicksilver SPRINT II 14 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Quicksilver 138 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Hirth 3203 38 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,070 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA309.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.