Quicksilver II accident near Spring, Texas, January 20, 2026
On January 20, 2026 at about 10:58 pm local time, a 2010 Quicksilver II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4NH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Spring, Texas (David Wayne Hooks Meml airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2026 · about 10:58 pm local time
- Place
- Spring, Texas · David Wayne Hooks Meml · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver II, built 2010, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4NH · registry record · serial 0622
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 20,2026, 1658 central standard time, a Quicksilver II, N4NH, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, DWH, in Spring, Texas. The pilot, sole occupant, sustained no injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed runway 17L with intentions of staying in the traffic pattern and making a water landing at the adjacent water runway at the airport. After retracting the landing gear, the engine ran very rough and lost power from the normal 6,500 rpm to about 1,800 rpm. The airplane was about 100 ft above ground level (agl) as the pilot lowered the nose and prepared for landing on the remaining runway. The airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway with the wings level and the landing gear still retracted. The airplane continued into the grass on the left side of runway 17L and came to rest near taxiway H. Just before touchdown, the engine power began to recover, and the engine returned to full power as the airplane was sliding on its floats. The pilot closed the throttle to idle, turned off the engine, and exited the airplane. During the hard landing the aluminum tubes from the rear engine area to the main landing gear were bent. The engine was displaced aft and the propeller contacted the elevator control tube and severed it. The elevator control horn was fractured and the elevator trim cable was damaged by contact with the propeller. The pilot also reported that several aluminum structural tubes were bent. He stated that there was no other damage to the airplane. The pilot, with the help of ground personnel, lowered the landing gear, and returned the airplane to the hangar for further inspection.
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 (partial) during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 415.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 17, 2025; 18.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17L/, 3,500 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from KDWH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.