Amateur-built Quicksilver MXL II accident near Goodrich, Michigan, July 21, 2012
On July 21, 2012 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Quicksilver MXL II, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Goodrich, Michigan (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operation of an unregistered and unairworthy airplane by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot’s improper preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to water/debris contamination in the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2012 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Goodrich, Michigan · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Quicksilver MXL II
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 000799
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot had just departed from and was returning to land on a lake in an unregistered experimental airplane when the engine stopped producing power. He was unable to glide back to the water and the airplane collided with a tree and a house near the shoreline. When the airplane was examined, water and debris were found in the fuel system. The pilot stated that he conducted a preflight inspection before the accident flight and that he was “afraid [he] missed something.” A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records revealed the airplane had not been issued an FAA airworthiness certificate.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel contamination during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 90 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: None Goodrich MI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: None Goodrich MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.