Quicksilver MXL II Sport accident near Ellenboro, North Carolina, January 31, 2009
On January 31, 2009 at about 11:11 pm local time, a Quicksilver MXL II Sport, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Ellenboro, North Carolina (Summey Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during climbout. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in the make and model of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2009 · about 11:11 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Ellenboro, North Carolina · Summey Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver MXL II Sport, amateur-built · all MXL II Sports on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · registered outside the United States · serial 000807
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the unregistered, uncertificated, experimental, amateur-built airplane. He began taxiing it around the airport, and then taxied to Runway 14. Shortly thereafter he departed, making a hard left bank turn. He flew between two airport hangars, struck a power line, and collided with the ground. The pilot’s wife stated that he had less than 1 hour of flight time in the accident airplane. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
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 control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 263 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8NC2 Ellenboro NC at 11:11 pm
- Destination: 8NC2 Ellenboro NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from EHO, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2009. 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 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Reports from Federal Agencies-faa Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo - Aft View of Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo - Side View of Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Quicksilver MXL II SPORT 11 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Quicksilver 138 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI 561 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Twin Airpark · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 305 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,120 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under UNREG 10 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA09LA150.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.