Quicksilver MXL II Sport accident near Pittsboro, North Carolina, August 15, 2015
On August 15, 2015 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Quicksilver MXL II Sport, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Pittsboro, North Carolina (Ron'S Ultralight Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to open the fuel shutoff valve during the preflight examination of the airplane which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2015 · about 10:20 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Pittsboro, North Carolina · Ron'S Ultralight Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- 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 None
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after takeoff during the climb at approximately 150 feet above ground level, the engine in the unregistered, two seat airplane lost power and the airplane's handling became "mushy." His passenger began to panic, and he found it hard to concentrate and figure out what was happening. The airplane began to lose altitude and he began maneuvering to find a field he could land in. He then noticed that there was a power line in front of him. He was able to clear the power line, but the airplane struck the top of a tree and was substantially damaged. The pilot advised that while maneuvering to land, that when he turned the airplane slightly to the right, the airplane "wanted to fly," and if lowered the nose of the airplane to maintain airspeed, the power seemed to increase slightly. Examination of the wreckage revealed that even though the fuel tank was 1/2 full, the fuel shutoff valve was in the "OFF" (closed) position. The horizontally mounted fuel filter which was located downstream of the closed shutoff valve was only 1/3 full and did not have enough fuel to reach the inlet or outlet ports on the filter. The fuel line to the carburetor was devoid of fuel, and the carburetor float bowl contained less than a teaspoon.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Not used/operated other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 720 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1NC1 Pittsboro NC at 10:18 pm
- Destination: 1NC1 Pittsboro NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,600 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KIGX, 11 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 3, 2016. 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 | Witness Statements and Interview Summaries | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Satellite Image of Accident Area | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records - Kigx Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for the Record - NTSB Form 6120 Non-return | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photographs and Images | PDF, 5 pages | 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 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ron'S Ultralight Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,130 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/ERA15CA321.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.