Quicksilver 2S SPORT accident near Waverly, Minnesota, May 31, 2019
On May 31, 2019, a 2001 Quicksilver 2S SPORT, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Waverly, Minnesota. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced, hard landing in a field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2019
- Place
- Waverly, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quicksilver 2S SPORT, built 2001, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 6794327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the unregistered airplane reported that he departed with 3 gallons of fuel and that he was flight testing the airplane by flying it low up and down a private, grass airstrip. He added that, about 1 hour 15 minutes hours into the flight, he "neglected to carefully check the fuel remaining" before taking off to conduct a teardrop maneuver. Once airborne, about 50 to 75 ft, he performed a climbing left turn and noticed the "engine was no longer producing power." He leveled the wings and pushed forward on the control stick. He began the landing flare for a forced landing in a field, and the airplane landed hard and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot recommended as a safety recommendation to "fill the fuel tank!"
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
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 817 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 730 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 29, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 80 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 29, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 80 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Waverly MN
- Destination: PVT Waverly MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2019. 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 | Accident Photo | 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
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.