Quicksilver Manufacturing INC SPORT2S R582 accident near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, May 5, 2017
On May 5, 2017 at about 11:20 am local time, a 2007 Quicksilver Manufacturing INC SPORT2S R582, registered N228KM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Arecibo, Puerto Rico (Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airp 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 pilot’s failure to see and avoid trees during low-altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2017 · about 11:20 am local time
- Place
- Arecibo, Puerto Rico · Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver Manufacturing INC SPORT2S R582 NO SERIES, built 2007
- Registration
- N228KM · registry record · serial 0142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft reported that he was performing a maintenance flight about 40 ft above ground level. He recalled that he remained in the pattern and that he was in a level flight profile when the left wing struck a tree. The aircraft fell to the ground and sustained substantial damage to the left wing strut and trailing edge tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the weight-shift-controlled aircraft 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 enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,315 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 1,315 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 361 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 2, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 UL (piston); 361 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABO Arecibo PR at 11:20 am
- Destination: ABO Arecibo PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 3,963 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:46 am from TJIG, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 25, 2017. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - No Photos | 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.
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.