Quicksilver MXL II SPORT accident near Ute, Iowa, June 25, 2015
On June 25, 2015, a 2013 Quicksilver MXL II SPORT, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Ute, Iowa. 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 failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to prevent an inadvertent aerodynamic stall, and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2015
- Place
- Ute, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver MXL II SPORT, built 2013, amateur-built · all MXL II SPORTs on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 955
- 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 the accident flight was his first flight in an experimental amateur built airplane, and he planned to complete one circuit in the traffic pattern. He said he remembered that during the final approach to land, he saw power lines which crossed the approach path, and a building, which he wanted to stay above. He also encountered a crosswind. He did not remember anything further. A witness who observed the flight from the ground, reported that as the airplane approached the runway, he saw the airplane climb to clear the wires, but then the airplane descended and "fell out of the air," impacting the ground almost vertically. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During a post-flight examination, substantial damage was found along the fuselage.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 0.3 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 74 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 525 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 152 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Ute IA
- Destination: None Ute IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
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.
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.