Quicksilver Eipper Acft INC GT 400 accident near Lebanon, Connecticut, September 28, 2014
On September 28, 2014 at about 3:52 pm local time, a 1989 Quicksilver Eipper Acft INC GT 400, registered N3740A, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lebanon, Connecticut (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s misjudgment of the takeoff distance needed to clear trees at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2014 · about 3:52 pm local time
- Place
- Lebanon, Connecticut · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver Eipper Acft INC GT 400, built 1989
- Registration
- N3740A · no longer on the register · serial GT 2801051
- 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, during the takeoff from a private airstrip, he used only about half of the available runway length. The ultralight airplane reached about 8 to 10 ft above the ground, and the pilot thought it would clear trees at the end of the runway, so he continued the climb. The nose landing gear subsequently cleared the trees, but the main landing gear caught a treetop. The airplane then turned right, stalled, and descended through the trees to the ground. The airplane was heading into gusting wind during the takeoff. A witness reported hearing the engine running after the accident, and the pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 570 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Lebanon CT at 3:52 pm
- Destination: NONE Lebanon CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 1,050 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from IJD, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.