SHAFFER WILLIAM C QUICKSILVER MX II SP

Full Narrative

On June 1, 2010, about 1320 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Quicksilver MX II SP airplane, N4399J, was substantially damaged during landing in a field near Visalia, California. The non-certified pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was uninjured. The airplane had recently been purchased and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

In a witness statement obtained by the Visalia Police Department, the witness observed a yellow airplane in a field moving back and forth across a dirt landing strip. He then observed the airplane take off and fly in a “circling maneuver” for approximately one hour. The witness stated that the airplane was flying eastbound over the makeshift landing strip and he watched as it attempted to land in windy conditions. He observed the airplane blown by the wind slightly to the south of the landing strip and crash, flipping over an unknown number of times.

The pilot stated to the Visalia Police Department that he had just purchased the airplane and that he had flown this type of airplane in the past. The responding officer indicated in the police report that this may have been the pilot’s first actual flight in this airplane. He also documented that at the time of the accident there was “a variable wind in the area that did pick up.” The police report documented that one of the landing gear tires made contact with the ground approximately 45 feet south of the runway and that the airplane appeared to be traveling in a southeasterly direction.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane landed on a soft/rough surface which resulted in the collapse of the right main gear. Further damage to the airplane occurred when the pusher propeller cut through a tail support tube of the airplane.