Beller QUICKSILVER MXLII accident near Orland, California, October 14, 2013
On October 14, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1989 Beller QUICKSILVER MXLII, registered N75556, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Orland, California (Haigh Field). 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 maintain aircraft control during taxi with a strong gusting wind condition which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Orland, California · Haigh Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beller QUICKSILVER MXLII MXLII, built 1989
- Registration
- N75556 · registry record · serial 81340
- 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 while taxiing from landing, a strong gust of wind or thermal picked up the airplane which resulted in a nose over. Structural fuselage tubing and the right wing spar were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway)
- Nose over/nose down during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 108 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 370 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 19, 2013; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 820 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 370 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Orland CA
- Destination: O37 Orland CA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 335° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 15, 2013. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N75556 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Rotax 503 449 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Haigh Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,761 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14CA017.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.